Yet We Will Have Cloven
by wedgegeck
Summary: A chance difference in Lelouch's early usage of geass leads to a singular moment of trust.  Will Lelouch be able to honor that trust, as well as offer it to others?
1. Chapter 1

Yet We Will Have Cloven, Chapter One

It was very dark on the command deck of the G-1. Clovis had watched in awe and terror as a single soldier ordered everyone off the bridge without any protest; now the same soldier turned silently to face him and removed his helmet. He was shocked to find that he found the face almost familiar; he looked into the man's eyes.

"You will order an immediate end to hostilities against the Japanese in Shinjuku, as well as immediate medical treatment for all the injured without prejudice at Britannian facilities. Do this immediately."

Lelouch smiled as Clovis complied with his command, hopefully in time to save the members of the resistance who had so considerately followed his advice. He watched as Clovis fell out of his geass-induced trance and turned to face him, a fearful expression on his face.

"Who are you?" He whispered, a frightened tone in his voice.

Lelouch bowed calmly. "Son of the late Empress Marianne, seventeenth in line for the throne, Lelouch vi Brittania, _brother_. I have returned to change everything." He straightened and leveled his pistol.

Clovis began to shake and tried to back away. "Lelouch! We thought you and Nunnally dead in the invasion!"

"Shut up, Clovis." Lelouch had difficulty keeping the venom out of his voice. "I only want to know one thing, and you must answer me." He activated his geass once more. "Answer my questions! Tell me who murdered my mother!"

Clovis looked at him, still terrified. "I don't know, Lelouch! I didn't do it!"

Lelouch frowned. The command hadn't worked. He tried again. "Tell me who was responsible, Clovis!" He ordered angrily.

Clovis swallowed and stared at Lelouch's pistol. "Lelouch, I swear I don't know anything! Only Schneizel and Cornelia would know anything about it - I swear to you that I'm not the one! Please, we may not have the same mother, but we're still brothers!" He stepped back again, his back to the wall now.

A frown crossed Lelouch's face. Apparently geass only worked once on a person. _Just once_, he thought. He stared at Clovis for a long moment, both of them silent, Clovis still shaking. "I'm sorry, Clovis, but you can't change the world without dirtying your hands." He stepped forward and fired.

He heard Clovis's scream die in his throat, watched his body fall to the ground with a horrible smear of blood and brain matter on the wall. Lelouch clutched his mouth to avoid vomiting on the floor of the command deck, and walked out the pathway he had already cleared with his geass. On the way out he hurled the gun away, disgusted and ill. He saw the refugees of the Shinjuku ghetto being guided into medical tents, with more being erected as he looked.

Lelouch made it almost all the way to the highway before he finally threw up, tears in his eyes as he thought of Clovis's terror, of the green-haired girl's anguished plea for his life, and finally of Suzaku's kind smile, the absolute assurance that he could never fight his best friend, his last expression before the commander of the royal guard shot him in the back.

He stayed there for a long time before making his way home.

* * *

><p>The next morning was overly warm, at least in Lelouch's opinion. He had left for class as early as possible to avoid having to talk to Nunnally; he was not sure whether he would be able to mask his emotions, especially if anything had come out about Clovis' death on the news.<p>

So far, though, that had yet to happen. A few students were watching a news report that seemed to imply that Eleven terrorists had deployed poison gas and inflicted a large number of casualties among their own. As they walked into their own classroom, lost in his thoughts while Rivalz prattled on, he suddenly noticed a girl with a wan smile and red hair.

She was sitting in his classroom, wearing the Ashford uniform.

Yesterday, she had been in a Glasgow in the ghetto, fighting against Clovis' troops. Hearing her voice as she spoke with the group of girls surrounding her, he was almost certain.

"Like what you see, Lelouch?" Rivalz asked with a sly grin. "Kallen Stadtfeld, only daughter of the wealthy Stadtfeld family, gorgeous, soft-spoken, with aristocratic manners … you've got pretty high standards, buddy!" He laughed and nudged Lelouch's shoulder.

"I'm just interested, Rivalz. She hasn't been in class at all this semester, has she?" Lelouch asked while facing deliberately forward.

Rivalz continued gently ribbing him until class began. Behind them, Shirley watched with a worried expression.

As the lunch period drew near, Lelouch was doing his best to formulate a plan of action. If it was the same girl - and he was almost certain that it was - then Kallen would be a valuable ally. She would be able to get him in touch with the other members of her resistance group. Before that, though, he wanted to know what she was doing in a terrorist cell to begin with.

He cast his eyes blankly at his notebook, considering. He wanted to refrain from using his geass, since he could only use it once. If she wasn't the girl, he could always order her to forget his inquiries. If she was, then she might be able to trust him; she must have her own reasons for fighting Britannia. If he needed to, he could use his geass, but if possible he wanted to sway her without it.

In order to do so, though, he would need to have her trust him, and that meant confiding in her. For the longest time Lelouch had told no one of his and Nunnally's true identities. If they were to come out, he was certain that they would be used as political tools in someone else's game, subject to sacrifice or manipulation. He could not allow that to happen.

If he could let himself trust Kallen Stadtfeld, even a little, then perhaps she would trust him as well. She had proved her willingness to follow him in Shinjuku, and now it remained to be seen whether that same loyalty would apply if she knew who he was.

He was willing to bet that he could count on it for now.

* * *

><p>He didn't follow her to lunch, but instead escaped his friends and observed her quietly. She was playing the sickly bit quite well, if she was playing.<p>

Just then he heard a shout. "Aaah! A bee! Kallen, watch out, it'll sting you!" Kallen's three companions scattered. Lelouch noted her lazy unconcern, and then watched a little alarmed as she escaped over his way. Hidden as he was by a pillar on the walkway, he saw her hide behind a shrub.

"What's a bee doing here anyway?" He heard her grumble. He saw the bee move right next to her face. Her expression didn't change. He hardly saw her arm move, but then it was stretched out to her left, and the bee was sliced in half on the ground.

Lelouch blinked in amazement. "Mou! Stupid Britannians! This sickly act is killing me!" He watched Kallen straighten as she spoke, her posture forward and not at all demure as it had been a moment before. He decided that now was the time to strike.

"Kallen Stadtfeld?" He queried politely, approaching her.

The young woman quickly schooled her expression and recovered her half-lidded gaze. "Ah, yes?"

Lelouch smiled softly. "I'm glad to see that you're well enough to attend classes again."

Kallen tried not to react. His voice! It had to be the same, the voice from Shinjuku. How could she be certain?

"Me too," she began quietly. "I don't want to fall too far behind everyone-"

She was interrupted by a shout from the second story. "Lelouch! Kallen! You have to get to the science lab, don't you remember?" Shirley watched with some relief as Lelouch remembered that he had to set up the equipment and ran off, leaving Kallen to follow slowly. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about Lelouch's interest in the redhead.

"Maybe he like sickly girls?" Shirley reflected to herself. "But wait! What does that mean for me?" She shook her head and walked toward the science lab, still uncertain.

* * *

><p>Classes occupied the remainder of the afternoon. Lelouch was already convinced that Kallen was the Glasgow's pilot. Kallen was becoming more and more convinced that Lelouch's voice was the one she'd heard come over her communicator with such confidence the day before.<p>

Each resolved to confront the other once school was out.

As the last class of the day ended, Shirley approached Lelouch. "Lulu, would you like to go somewhere today?" She grasped her bag nervously.

Lelouch replied without looking at her. "Sorry Shirley, not today." While Shirley was still processing his rejection, Lelouch strode over to Kallen, who was surrounded by her friends.

"Kallen, would you come with me? I'd like to speak with you."

"Yes," she replied while looking him in the eye, "I'd like that."

As the girls around them emitted a collective gasp of astonishment, Lelouch took Kallen's hand and they walked out the door together.

"Let's go somewhere we can speak and not be disturbed, all right?" He asked as they exited the building.

"Certainly," she replied. What else could be the reason, she reflected - he must want to talk to her about Shinjuku.

They were silent as they walked into the Student Council annex. Lelouch stopped and turned to face her. He waited a moment, then spoke. "I was in Shinjuku yesterday."

Kallen's mouth opened in astonishment, but before she could say anything they both heard a noise on the upper landing.

"I've got it!" Rivalz stood up. "Is this it, Nina?"

"My lab data! Thank you Rivalz!" The girl smiled happily.

"Nice job, Rivalz," commented Shirley.

Just as they finished speaking, Milly burst into the room with a catering cart. She stopped, seeing Lelouch and Kallen across the way, and grinned. "Lelouch, thank you for bringing Kallen to our little celebration! How did you know?"

Lelouch stared. "Celebration?"

"Of course, my grandfather asked me to let her into the student council, so this is the welcoming party!" Milly began setting out her trays. Rivalz, Shirley, and Nina came downstairs to introduce themselves. Kallen smiled gratefully and kept glancing at Lelouch. Shirley was on the point of saying something when a door opened and a young girl in a wheelchair emerged, carrying a tray of confections and two pizzas.

"Milly, can you help me put these out?" Nunnally sounded a little excited by the preparations.

Kallen looked over at Lelouch. "That's my sister, Nunnally. Nunnally, this is Kallen Stadtfeld." Kallen looked closely at the girl and realized that she had yet to open her eyes.

"Kallen? It's wonderful to meet you." Nunnally smiled with an earnest sincerity that touched Kallen, and she smiled warmly in return.

"It's very nice to meet you as well, Nunnally."

At that moment, Rivalz produced a bottle of champagne and placed it on the table. "For a special occasion, right?"

"Rivalz!" Shirly said angrily. "We can't have that!"

"Why not?" He replied playfully, lifting the bottle away from her grasp. "It's a party, right?"

"Rivalz! You're such a bad influence!"

"Here Lelouch, pass!" He tossed it over to Lelouch, who caught it only to have Shirley in his face a moment later.

"Lulu! Give that here!"

"Shirley, wait!"

Kallen watched in amazement as Lelouch fell backward. Then the cork flew out of the bottle straight for her, and she swatted it aside without thinking. She had no time to be concerned, though, since a moment later she was nicely drenched in champagne from the agitated bottle.

"Ah, sorry?" Commented Rivalz.

* * *

><p>The shower felt nice after her impromptu bath. Milly had laughed, then apologized, and finally hustled her off to the shower promising to wash her uniform. Her clothing was the least of her concerns, however.<p>

"_I was in Shinjuku yesterday._"

It was him, she was sure. It was maddening not to be able to confirm it. At least she could be reasonably sure that he wasn't reporting her to the police; he must, she reflected, be used to keeping his own secrets.

She heard a knock at the door. "Kallen? It's Lelouch. I have a change of clothes for you. May I come in?"

She took a deep breath before responding. "Yes, thanks." She heard the door open, then close. When he drew near the curtain, she spoke again. "You were at Shinjuku yesterday?"

"Yes, Q-1."

The voice was the same. It was him! As amazing as it was that the voice belonged to this Britannian boy, it was perhaps more amazing that they had run into each other so readily.

"Are you disappointed, Q-1?" She heard him say.

"No!" Kallen replied hastily and moved the curtain aside to look him in the eye. "No, I'm just surprised. Why are you fighting Britannia?"

"I could ask the same of you, Kallen." He forestalled her protest with a gesture. "You saw my sister, right? My father is a Britannian nobleman. My mother was assassinated and Nunnally was crippled and blinded in the attack. My father refused to investigate the matter _at all_." Kallen saw him shaking with rage. "He used us as political hostages, and now he thinks we're dead. The Ashford family took us in, and protects our identity. That's why I live here, in the Student Council annex." He let out a frustrated sigh. "And you?"

"I'm half-Japanese," she replied. "My brother was in the resistance, and he was killed. I'm fighting for both of us now." She pressed her lips together, trying not to become emotional at her memories of Naoto. "What are you going to do?" She asked honestly.

"Well," Lelouch turned his head aside, blushing hotly. "Ah, I'd appreciate it if you got back behind the shower curtain. I can see you."

The redhead let our a small sound of embarrassment as she pulled the curtain to, blushing as well.

"In answer to your question, I intend to fight. Will you fight with me, Kallen?"

She paused a moment under the hot shower. Did she trust him? She trusted his results, certainly, and his story was plausible. She found it hard to deny it at the thought of his sister's smile. He was commanding, yesterday. Confident. He had said that they could win.

"Can we win?" She asked hopefully.

"Absolutely. We can win, but winning means more than you think it does. Winning means winning a war against Britannia, not terrorism."

Her eyes widened in shock. "War? With Britannia?"

"Yes." It was the confident voice from yesterday again. "Together, we can do it."

Kallen stood and let the water run over her. She closed her eyes, opened them, and stared out at the small window. "I'll fight with you, Lelouch."

On the other side of the curtain, Lelouch smiled. It was not the kindly smile of his sister, but neither was it cruel. Lelouch was genuinely happy - he had an ally, a confidante. Kallen trusted him.

And for his part, he was beginning to trust her.

"I'm glad, Q-1, Kallen," he replied. "Let's talk more later, though. I'll wait outside." He walked to the door.

"Thanks," she replied.

Out in the hallway, Lelouch was still smiling.

* * *

><p>On the way to rejoin the council members, they agreed that Kallen would ask her compatriots for a meeting. They also agreed that Kallen should remain a while after the other council members departed. Lelouch was a little nervous, but he found it to be quite a relief to share his story, even if only part of it, with someone else.<p>

Kallen was very happy; during her phone conversation with Ohgi earlier that day, she had been irritated at the thought of hiding out and having to go to school, to associate with the enemy, to pretend to be someone she was not. But Lelouch changed all that. Now, someone knew who she was, and she did not have to pretend around him. Even around the others, she would know, and he would know. It was a secret for the two of them, and it was liberating.

She was even feeling rather positive about the other jovial members of the student council, but then she felt herself growing angry when they walked in on the others watching the news. The broadcast showed Jeremiah Gottwald demanding that the Elevens pay for their crime. The subsequent announcement by the anchor was even more shocking - an Honorary Britannian had been arrested for the crime of killing Clovis.

She looked over at Lelouch, who had a terrible expression. He shook his head negatively a her inquiring glance, and they proceeded into the room. Milly leaned over and looked at the two of them.

"Thick as thieves, aren't you?"

"Madam President!" Shirley interjected.

"It's fine, Shirley," Lelouch announced. "Let's just finish Kallen's welcoming party, shall we?"

The gathering wrapped up after about two hours. Kallen did her best to enjoy herself, but kept glancing over at Lelouch, who seemed totally composed. The others finally left; Kallen stayed behind ostensibly to change clothes and wait for a ride home. Lelouch advised Nunnally that he and Kallen were going to chat for a while in his room, and commended her to Sayoko's care.

Once they entered Lelouch's bedroom, he turned immediately and apologized. "I'll be right back. I've got to tuck Nunnally into bed. I'll bring some chairs." He left, and she took a moment to look around.

The room was well-appointed, but bare of personal possessions. A chessboard was set out by the window, the game not yet begun. Kallen wondered idly whether anyone had ever played with Lelouch across that board.

Her musings were interrupted by Lelouch's return. He placed the chairs next to the chessboard and gestured for her to sit down. Once she had, he sat as well.

She started. "What do you think about Kururugi Suzaku?" Kallen generally had no love for Honorary Britannians, but she imagined that he had not been responsible for Clovis' death.

"He's innocent; I killed Clovis." Lelouch frowned as he looked at his hands. Kallen gasped, surprised that he had done it, and surprised that he had admitted it so readily. Lelouch looked up at her. "We need to rescue him."

"Rescue him? How could we possibly do that?"

"I have a plan, Kallen. Also," he paused, weighing his options. "Also, Suzaku is a friend of mine from before the war." He trembled a little. "I had thought he was dead." Kallen was again unable to conceal her surprise.

"You lived here before the invasion?"

"Briefly, yes."

"Are you sure you can rescue him?"

"With your help and the help of your friends, I believe I can. In fact, this might be the best way to convince them to trust me." He leaned forward a bit. "Kallen, I cannot tell them that I'm a Britannian. They would never trust me to lead them."

She looked away guiltily. "I think they might, but I understand. Maybe once they've decided to trust you, we can tell them."

"Maybe. But for now what's important is rescuing Suzaku. If we play it correctly, this could be a great opportunity for the resistance."

"All right. What should I tell them?"

"Just tell them that I contacted you and told you to go to the Old Tokyo Tower tomorrow at 1600. Meet them there, and I'll do the rest."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

He caught himself and sat up straight. "Well, Kallen, we'll have enough to do tomorrow. I'll tell you the rest of the plan then. For now, get some rest." He cleared his throat. "And thank you, for today. Believe in me, and we can win."

Kallen blushed and stood up. "O-of course, Lelouch. I'll see you tomorrow then, all right?"

He nodded and walked her to the door. "Good night Kallen."

"Kouzuki!" She blurted out. "Kouzuki Kallen is my name."

"Good night then, Kouzuki-san." He smiled.

Kallen smiled back before leaving. Her heart was beating a little faster than usual. She couldn't quite say why.

* * *

><p>The next day was busy for Lelouch - so busy in fact that he did not sleep. Instead, he hashed out his strategy for the next day, trying not to dwell on the hope he had given to both Nunnally and Kallen with regard to Suzaku.<p>

In the morning he used his geass to commission his disguise. Later he managed to determine the itinerary of the procession for the next day. Later still he located the parts necessary to complete his scheme. Early in the afternoon he made sure of his speech for Kallen's associates, packed up his new costume, and headed off to buy a few new cell phones.

"Miss Kallen Stadtfeld, Miss Kallen Stadtfeld, a lost item has beet returned for you at the information desk."

Ohgi and the others glanced over at her. Kallen paused a moment, then headed down to the desk. Convincing the others to come had not been difficult. She was worried about what Lelouch would say, and how they would react. She was especially worried about what they would say about his idea to rescue Kururugi Suzaku, which was about as impossible as anything she could imagine doing. But that confidence of his was infectious; she was somehow willing to believe in him, in Lelouch.

She retrieved "her" phone from the attendant. It rang a few minutes later.

ZERO.

"Hello?" She asked hesitantly.

"Q-1," she felt relief as she heard Lelouch's voice, "be on the West outbound loop in twenty minutes."

The line went dead. She turned to leave, and the others followed.

The train was mostly empty, as it was just four-thirty. The phone rang again. "Zero?"

"Come to the forward car."

She started walking.

In the last two cars, the passengers looked down as though they totally ignored both her and her companions. She made her way into the forward car. There they all gasped at the strange sight - a man wrapped in a black cape with a featureless mast. The door shut behind them, and all went black as they entered a tunnel.

When they exited, the figure spoke. "Did you enjoy my tour of the two cities, that of Britannia and that of the Japanese?"

"Who are you?" Asked Ohgi. "Are you the one from Shinjuku?"

"Yes, I am. You may call me Zero."

"Zero?"

"Yes, Zero. I am the man who killed Clovis."

Kallen's companions began to mutter among themselves.

"Why did you show us those cities?" Kallen asked.

"To show you the difference."

"We know there's a difference! That's why we fight!" Exclaimed Tamaki.

"But you are wrong. You will never defeat Britannia with terrorism."

"What did you just say?" Tamaki replied hotly.

"To fight Britannia you must fight against Britannia itself, not against its civilians. You must wage a war."

"A war …" Ohgi sounded stunned. "Do you mean to say a war with Britannia, one that we can win?"

"If you follow me, you can win." He sounded absolutely confident.

"Why should we believe you?" Kallen ground her teeth in frustration.

"I suppose it is too much to ask. If I perform a miracle, will you follow me then? If I rescue Kururugi Suzaku?"

"Impossible! How could you?"

Ohgi tried to silence his companions. "Yes, Zero, how?"

"I will leave you to discuss whether you want to trust me or not. Call me when you are resolved." With that, Zero was silent, and a moment later the train stopped. He exited onto an empty platform, and then the train moved on.

* * *

><p>"So, it is just you two?"<p>

"I'm sorry, Zero," Kallen began, "They just can't believe it."

"Are you sure you can do this, Zero?" Ohgi asked.

"Yes," he answered unhesitatingly. Then he produced a photograph. "I need this for Kururugi's procession. It only needs to look like it on the outside."

"That's all?" Kallen asked.

"I will do the rest," he said. "Trust me."

"All right, Zero." She turned to Ohgi, and they began to work.

* * *

><p>Kallen was feeling considerably less confident as they approached the motorcade surrounding Kururugi. They were surrounded by Knightmares and hostile Britannians on live television. She held to her trust, but it was hard to remain calm.<p>

As his curtain burned theatrically away, Lelouch was himself feeling the pressure. This was the moment. If he could carry through with this, he would have all the support he needed. The trust of Ohgi's resistance group would be assured and Suzaku would be safe.

And he would have told the truth to Kallen and Nunnally.

"I am the man who killed Clovis! My name is Zero!" He announced to the astonished shouts of the crowd. He depressed the button to reveal his decoy capsule.

He waited for the Knightmares to finish surrounding him before responding. "I think you know what will happen if you kill me. I propose a trade. This," he gestured to the capsule, "for Kururugi Suzaku."

"Ridiculous!" Shouted Jeremiah from atop his Knightmare.

"Perhaps you should reconsider. You don't want everyone to know about 'orange,' do you?" He paused as he gauged the crowd's reaction.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Jeremiah yelled angrily.

Lelouch tapped his foot, and Kallen swallowed heavily as she drove forward. "I'll make everything public about 'orange,' if you don't comply." He stared at Jeremiah and uncovered his left eye. "Let us take Kururugi and escape, let us go with all your might."

It took one agonizing second of uncertainty, but then Jeremiah demanded that the prisoner be released. Lelouch smiled under his mask, while Kallen got out of the car amazed.

Suzaku tried to speak, but his collar prevented him. "I didn't think they would let you speak," Lelouch commented.

Meanwhile Jeremiah was busy turning his subordinates aside from their attempts at disobeying him. "Viletta! I said let them GO!"

At that moment Lelouch released the fake capsule and panic reigned on the bridge. In the confusion, they leapt off into Ohgi's net. One of the Knightmares opened fire, but Jeremiah came to their rescue screaming. Lelouch laughed as they all drove away, unscathed.

* * *

><p>Tamaki, Ohgi, and the other members of the resistance group were more than amazed. As much as Tamaki tried to nay-say Zero's tactics, the truth was that they were all impressed by his bold and successful plan. So far as Ohgi was concerned, Zero had made good on his miracle, no matter who he was.<p>

On the far side of the building in a burned out classroom, Zero stood by as Kallen removed Suzaku's restraints. "You're free, Suzaku. The Britannians and their false accusations cannot harm you here. Britannia must be removed for something better to take its place. Will you join us?"

Kallen watched for a long moment as Kururugi Suzaku looked carefully at the featureless mask before him.

"I cannot do that. I believe that terrorism is wrong, no matter how good your intentions are."

"We will never endanger civilians."

"What about tonight?"

"The capsule was a fake!" Kallen called out angrily.

Suzaku looked at her in surprise, then turned back to Zero. "What about Clovis?"

Zero turned away for a moment, then looked back. "Is killing the enemy commander not the swiftest way to end a battle? I had to do that, to force him to order the cease-fire."

"You ordered that?" Suzaku was shocked. "Why should I believe you?"

Kallen growled angrily. Zero cut her off with a negative gesture. "I was not the one who ordered the wholesale slaughter of civilians in the ghetto."

Suzaku looked pained. "Nevertheless, I don't think I can trust you. I would prefer to go to my court martial now, and if I am acquitted, I can make Britannia a better place from within."

Kallen could not conceal her surprise. "How can you possibly think that you can make any difference? They were ready to execute you with no evidence at all!"

Lelouch was sweating under his mask. This was not going as he had intended; Suzaku's stubborn streak was something he well remembered. To break him out of it, he would need to offer something more.

"Q-1," Zero asked quietly, "Is there anyone nearby?"

Kallen scouted for a moment before replying in the negative.

"All right, Suzaku," Zero began. "You've forced my hand."

And he removed his mask.

Suzaku's eyes went wide. "Lelouch! You're alive!"

Lelouch smiled, then turned to Kallen with an apologetic expression. "Sorry, Kallen. I had to."

Kallen shook her head, exasperated, but with a small smile on her lips. "It's all right, Lelouch. I trust you."

Suzaku listened to their exchange, still amazed. "I don't know what to say, Lelouch."

"Do you trust me, Suzaku? Do you trust me when I say that I am committed to building something better, for Nunnally?"

Suzaku looked thoughtful. "I do, Lelouch. But I don't want to be a part of the resistance."

Kallen made an angry noise. "Why not? We risked everything to save you!"

"It's because I'm Kururugi Suzaku, the son of the last Prime Minister of Japan." Kallen's expression fell. "If I were a part of this, I would not be able to control what was done in my name."

Lelouch looked bitterly at the ruined city outside the bombed-out building. "You're right, I suppose. Your identity would only make you into a political tool, wouldn't it?" Just then his eyes brightened, and he stepped down to clasp Kallen by the shoulder.

"What do you say about helping us from within Britannia, then? No one needs to know except the three of us." Kallen looked surprised at this idea, but as she thought about it it began to seem more appealing. She looked over at Suzaku, who was obviously thinking hard.

"I think I can do that, so long as you abide by your promise not to harm innocents." He smiled, then he took a step back as if recalling something very important. "Lelouch, were you the command unit in Shinjuku yesterday?"

"Yes," Lelouch had a pained expression. "I was."

"I was in the Lancelot, the white Knightmare Frame."

"What did you say!" Kallen beat Lelouch to the punch. "That was you? How the hell did an Honorary Britannian get to pilot a Knightmare?"

"Yes, how Suzaku?" Lelouch's mind was already alive with possibilities.

Suzaku smiled a little self-consciously. "The head researcher found me in a medical truck. I was shot, but the bullet was deflected. Lloyd - that's the researcher - he asked me to pilot it, and I took the chance. That's why I thought I might be able to make a difference now."

"Well, that makes things a little clearer," Kallen commented.

"Indeed it does, Suzaku. With you in the military and me in the resistance, we can make a better world for everyone. Will you work together with me?" Lelouch extended his hand.

Suzaku stared at it, then took Lelouch's hand in his own. "For the Japanese, and for Nunnally."

Lelouch grinned. "Kallen, this is Kururugi Suzaku, my friend. Suzaku, this is Kallen, my ace."

Kallen blushed at the praise, and shook Kururugi's hand. "I'm glad we're on the same side," Suzaku commented, smiling.

"Thank you both for rescuing me." He looked over at Lelouch, who was holding the Zero mask in his hand. "Thank you for trusting me, Lelouch."

"No need for thanks, Suzaku. I'm just glad you're alive."

"Likewise!" Suzaku laughed. "I'm leaving, then. I'm going to my court-martial. Hopefully they'll not convict me with you on the loose."

"If they try, we'll come again." Lelouch's expression was firm.

"Good luck, Kururugi," Kallen said.

He turned back as he walked outside. "Suzaku, Kallen. Call me Suzaku." And he left.

Kallen turned to Lelouch, who was putting his mask back on. "Are you sure you can trust him? He did become an Honorary Britannian."

Zero turned to regard her. "I trust him. He is the same as he ever was."

Kallen smiled, cheered by Lelouch's confidence. "What are we going to tell the others?"

"I'll handle it," he said, and patted her on the shoulder. He walked off to announce Suzaku's departure to the Ohgi and the others, and Kallen followed.

* * *

><p>Lelouch was beyond exhausted when he returned home with Kallen in tow. They had left the other members of the resistance separately, but elected to use the rumor of a date as alibi by arriving together at Lelouch's residence.<p>

Plus, it would make a good excuse to Nunnally.

"Once we drop off your things, I can escort you home, all right Kallen?"

"Sure, Lelouch," she responded. She hesitated as they entered the hallway. "Should we pretend to be, well, dating?" She was sure he could see her red face clearly in the low light of the hall.

"Well," he temporized, caught off guard, "Let's not say that quite yet." He glanced over to check her reaction - she appeared to still be embarrassed, which he took as an encouraging sign. He opened the door as she nodded.

"Welcome home, onii-sama!" Called Nunnally pleasantly.

"Welcome home, Lelouch," called out an unfamiliar voice. "Who's your friend?"

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! I still plan to complete Wait and Hope, but I was overcome with this story while setting up my new website, liked on my profile - check it out if you get the chance, although it is still under construction.<p>

I never thought I would write a divergence fanfic myself, but I am really having fun making alterations to the existing plot. Although the changes early on may seem small, their impact will be very significant. I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I did writing. And don't worry - C.C. is going to make her appearance next!

Please review if you get the chance - I love to hear comments or criticism.

- wedgegeck


	2. Chapter 2

Yet We Will Have Cloven, Chapter Two

"Welcome home, Lelouch. Who's your friend?"

Lelouch stopped and stared. It was the girl, the one from the capsule, the one he'd seen with blood pooled around her head in Shinjuku. He gaped openly as Kallen responded warily. "Who is she, Lelouch?"

As Lelouch tried to formulate a response, Nunnally interjected. "Ah, hello Kallen. This is C.C. She's a friends of by brother's." Nunnally placed a finger thoughtfully against her temple and tilted her head cutely. "Is she your girlfriend, onii-sama?"

"NO!" Lelouch said without thinking, glancing first at the girl - C.C. - then back at Kallen's frowning face. "She's not-"

"We have made a promise for the future," C.C. commented, continuing to fold her origami crane.

"Ah!" Exclaimed Kallen.

"Really, like," Nunnally paused. "Marriage, onii-sama?" She sounded worried.

Lelouch gestured in a wildly negative way at Kallen. "No, absolutely not, she's just joking Nunnally! It's just a joke!" His head was spinning. He had to escape this situation.

"I hate comments like that," C.C. intoned. Kallen fumed and took Lelouch by the arm.

"Lelouch, what's going on here?"

"Oh my," Nunnally said, her origami forgotten.

Lelouch saw the situation spiralling out of his control. He spotted C.C.'s teacup, pulled away from Kallen, and hurled it to the ground.

Everyone stopped at the noise, although C.C.'s expression remained unchanged. "C.C., look what you've done! You're soaking wet!"

Kallen watched unbelieving as Lelouch's voice became all concern. "Nunnally, we'll be right back. Stay with Kallen for a moment, all right?" He took C.C. and proceeded to haul her out the door, sending a harried and apologetic glance at Kallen as he left.

"Kallen, is everything all right with onii-sama?"

Kallen resisted the urge to pull out her own hair, or run down the hall after them. Instead she gritted her teeth and replied in the most pleasant tone she could muster, "I think he's just a little tired, Nunnally."

* * *

><p>"Who are you?" Lelouch asked as he fairly tossed the green-haired girl into his room.<p>

"I'm C.C.," she commented, utterly unconcerned. "Are you enjoying the power I gave to you?"

He stepped back for a moment, reflecting. "So it was you. I thought so. How did you survive?"

"I wonder," she asked absently, falling over into his bed. "At any rate, I'm tired."

Lelouch was incredulous. "You can't stay here! Half the military is looking for you!"

"It's a lot less than half. I'll be fine here. Besides..." She turned to regard him seriously. "We have a contract. I'm not leaving you until you fulfill your end of it."

"What?" He asked hotly. "You can't just stay here!" Ignoring him, she began to disrobe. "C.C.! Stop that immediately!"

"Lelouch!" He heard Kallen's panicked voice as the door slid open. "I heard you yelling and-" She stopped and her eyes went wide as they took in C.C. tossing her clothes aside and getting into bed.

"Ah, you. You may as well leave; I'm going to bed." C.C. turned to the side and snuggled under Lelouch's blankets.

"Wha! What do you mean?" Kallen tried and failed to keep her tone under control. "Why are you in Lelouch's bed? Who are you anyway?" She pointed furiously.

An idly waving hand was her only reply. Kallen took a step forward angrily.

Lelouch meanwhile was feeling a serious cloud of exhaustion replace the panic he had felt a moment before. He tried to come up with a plausible explanation, a clever ply, an easy way out. _Should I use geass on Kallen_? He wondered. But for what? They were almost equally in the dark here, and he didn't even know what the hell he wanted her to do anyway.

He ground the heel of his hand against his eyes in frustration. "Stop!"

Kallen stopped, and turned to him, shocked out of her anger by his exclamation.

"Just stop, both of you." He sighed tiredly. "Kallen, that's what was in the capsule at Shinjuku." He heard her gasp aloud. "I don't know what they wanted with her, but she's under my protection for now. I make a promise." He schooled his expression to conceal the half-truth, hoping Kallen would buy it.

Kallen looked from Lelouch to C.C., who was looking over at them in annoyance. "Are you satisfied, girl? Now I want to go to sleep. And you," she glared at Lelouch, "boys sleep on the floor."

Lelouch resisted the urge to fall to his knees in frustration. Kallen blinked, and then stared, and then simply shook her head. "I'm leaving, Lelouch."

"Wait, Kallen!" He moved at the irritation in her voice. He did not need her to be angry with him. "Please, don't take anything weird away from this."

She quirked an eyebrow and gestured to the girl in Lelouch's bed. "Weird?" She sounded tired. "I don't even know anymore. Just walk me home."

Lelouch sighed in relief. "Thank you, Kallen." He turned a furious gaze - one wholly wasted - on C.C. "I'll be back."

"Have fun," she said, he voice muffled by the pillow. _My pillow!_ He thought.

He and Kallen made their way silently back down the hall to Nunnally. Kallen had thoughtfully cleared the cup away, and Sayoko was already cleaning the floor. She stood at his arrival. "Master Lelouch, good evening. And good evening to you as well, Ms. Stadtfed." She smiled kindly.

Kallen was uncertain how to respond, so she bowed awkwardly. Sayoko evinced a little confusion at her gesture, resolving to worry about it later.

"Good evening, Sayoko," Lelouch said. Kallen turned in amazement. He had addressed her in Japanese! Lelouch smiled at her expression.

"Onii-sama, did C.C. leave?" Nunnally inquired hesitatingly.

"Yes, she did. I'm about to walk Kallen home, all right? I'll see you when I come back, I promise."

They said their goodbyes and Kallen allowed herself to be escorted down the street. "You really love your sister, don't you?" She focused her expression on the ground.

"I do," he said. "She's the most important thing to me in the world." Feeling his tiredness once again, Lelouch forgot himself. "I imagine that your brother was very important to you." She said nothing, and he began to panic. "I'm sorry Kallen, I shouldn't have-"

"You're very strange, Lelouch Lamperouge." Lelouch relaxed at her interjection. She didn't sound offended. "I never really know what you're thinking." She shook her head and stopped to stretch, looking up at the sky. "So much has happened in the last few days. I don't even know what to say." She turned to look at him, a soft smile on her face. "But you were trying to be kind, and I appreciate that."

He could not conceal an astonished blush, and awkwardly put his hands in his pockets. "Don't think too well of me, Kallen."

She laughed. "Like it or not, we're in this together now." She walked silently for a while after that. Lelouch wondered what exactly she wanted him to say.

Near the gates of her home, she stopped. "I won't ask you now, but you had better tell me the truth about that girl, Lelouch."

He swallowed nervously. "When I know the truth, I'll do my best to tell you."

Her eyes narrowed a bit, and then she relaxed. "Whatever. I'm too tired to suspect you. I'll see you in school, Lelouch." She waved over her shoulder as she opened the gate.

"Good night, Kallen." He said, and turned away back home. He knew sleep would not come as easily, tonight, as he might have wished.

* * *

><p>Kururugi Suzaku stopped to survey the street ahead before him, his meager personal possessions slung over one shoulder. As he and Lelouch had expected, he had been more or less cleared of the charge of Clovis' assassination. Not fifteen minutes after he had heard the news himself, an overjoyed Cecile Croomy called to congratulate him.<p>

They said that they would be picking him up at the government building, but as usual Lloyd was not very clear on the exact time. He decided to wait. He was, for the moment, fairly happy. His best friend was alive against all odds, and he had escaped an unjust sentencing. His deal with Lelouch was pretty vague, but his friend had assured him that they would work together, to do the best they could. For now he was free to work with Lloyd and Cecile, who if they were a little odd did seem to be very concerned for his welfare.

Well, Cecile was anyway.

Suzaku's musings were interrupted when he heard a shriek coming from right above him. "Watch out! Please watch out!"

Without thinking, he caught the person in his arms and saw nothing but a mass of pink hair. A moment passed, and then the person lifted her face to his own. It was a girl, about his own age. She was Britannian.

And she was beautiful.

Suzaku immediately began fumbling for an apology as he set her back on her feet. The young woman stared at him thoughtfully as he did so, before nodding her head. "You know, I'm being … chased! Pursued by bad people!" Her eyes shifted away from his as she spoke. "Please help me to get away!" She paused, then saw his perplexed expression. "Please!"

He couldn't say no. Ignoring his meeting with Lloyd and the neatly tied rope of curtains hanging from the seond story window of the government building, He allowed the the girl to take his arm and lead him down the street.

Over at the corner in a military transport, Lloyd watched with an evil eye as Cecile fretted.

They walked for a block or two in silence before the girl spoke. "Thank you for saving me! My name's …" She paused and looked around, biting her lip. Then she turned back with a smile. "Euphy!"

"Euphy, nice to meet you." Suzaku stopped. "My name is -"

"No, no, that won't do." She smiled again. "You're a celebrity, aren't you?"

"Ah, well," he began hesitatingly.

"Since we got away, how about you show me around to settlement?" With that, she took his arm and headed for the nearest visible shopping district. Suzaku went along, wondering all the while who she was, and why exactly she was hanging on his arm. He had to admit, though, that he was thoroughly enjoying the experience.

They wandered through a few locations, window shopping and eating crepes. Suzaku learned that Euphy was new to Area 11, and that she had been a student in the homeland only the week before.

Alhough he was having a very good time himself, and he believe the same to be true of Euphy, he eventually had to ask her something serious.

"Euphy, why did you lie about being pursued?" He looked over for a response, but she wasn't there. He saw her a few meters away, playing with a stray cat.

"He's such a cute one, isn't he?" She offered the friendly grey cat to Suzaku, who held out a hand in greeting.

The cat bit him. Euphy winced.

While she was cleaning and bandaging his finger, Suzaku was about to repeat his earlier question, but she cut him off.

"Do you like cats?"

"Well, I suppose that the feeling isn't mutual." He looked up while responding to see a large media board showing a report on Zero. He thought of Lelouch for a moment, and worried.

Noticing his change of expression, Euphy stood. "I've had a wonderful day, but I have a request."

"What is that, my lady? Whatever you desire," he said, bowing.

"Take me to the Shinjuku ghetto."

Suzaku's blood ran cold and he looked up, hoping to see her cute smile.

Her whimsical expression was gone. She was placid, even imperious. "Kururugi Suzaku, take me to the Shinjuku ghetto."

It was not in him to refuse her.

* * *

><p>Lelouch was still feeling tired.<p>

He had managed to escape Nunnally's questioning expression by eating a hasty breakfast and pleading work to be done in the classroom. Kallen was being sociable with him, which was going as he had planned; it was not going to seem too odd to see the two of them together. Nevertheless... Lelouch looked surreptitiously over his shoulder to see Shirley. Was she angry?

It was difficult for him to tell. He sighed. Dealing with his increasingly complex social relationships was hampering his ability to formulate his plan for the resistance. Mercifully, the lunch period arrived. Lelouch headed for one of the less heavily trafficked avenues with Kallen following behind him. They sat down at a small stone table facing one another, and Lelouch opened his lunch without ceremony. After a moment, Kallen broke the silence.

"Are you all right, Lelouch?" She asked worriedly. "You seem strained."

Lelouch abandoned his lunch and put his hand over his eyes. "I'm still tired, and school life is proving to be more tense than I had expected."

She tilted her head to the side, perplexed. "Are you worried about the others?"

He dropped his hands morosely, abandoning his small pretense of composure. "Yes, I am."

Kallen laughed, not the tiny giggle she usually allowed herself at school, but a full laugh. "You know, I thought it was just Nunnally, but you worry about everyone, don't you?" She smiled.

In response, Lelouch appeared thoughtful. As he reflected, it began to be clear to him that his loyalties and concerns were indeed what was tiring him out; he was concerned about those around him, wanted to avoid strife and unhappiness among his friends.

Seeing that he was reflecting, Kallen waited a moment before commenting, "You know, that's a good thing. It's good to care for other people."

He smiled a little, feeling less tired now. "I suppose it is, then." He was about to speak further when suddenly he saw a flash of green hair. He stood up, shocked to see C.C., dressed in his clothes, twirling girlish circles around the quad. "Oh my god."

"What?" Kallen stood as well and turned around. "What is she doing here? Isn't she being chased by the military?"

"C.C." Lelouch growled as he stalked over and took her by the arm. "What are you doing here?"

"I was bored," she replied, her face a mask. She shrugged out if his grasp and started walking for the hallway.

"C.C.! Come back here!" Lelouch hissed.

She made no reply as she walked up the stairwell. Lelouch sighed and shrugged, then gestured for Kallen to follow him.

They found C.C. on the roof, leaning over the railing. Lelouch spoke first.

"C.C., you're going to give yourself away and cause problems for us if you do this sort of thing." He tried not to sound angry.

C.C. leaned lazily backward to address him. "Relax boy, I know what I'm doing. I've no intention of letting you get caught. We're accomplices, after all."

Kallen frowned. "Are you sure you can trust her, Lelouch?"

C.C. smiled. "Are you sure you can trust him?"

Seeing that Kallen was about to respond angrily, Lelouch cut them both off. "Enough. I'm trusting both of you. Now C.C., will you trust my judgement and go back home? Anyone might see you, and that could have consequences I can't foresee."

Kallen backed down, blushing slightly. She had been about to defend Lelouch, or rather her own decision to trust him. His words made her pleased in a way she couldn't quite articulate.

C.C. smiled lazily. "All right, Lelouch. You two have fun. I'll see you later."

She turned and exited the way she came. Lelouch and Kallen watched her go in silence.

"Want to finish lunch?" Kallen suggested. She tried to shake off C.C.'s parting words.

"Sure," Lelouch said. "That woman..." He said nothing further.

They made their way back down to their discarded lunches, only to find that an enterprising group of tree sparrows had taken advantage of their absence. Two of them even resisted the urge to depart at their approach, apparently quite convinced that they were masters of the field.

Kallen rolled her eyes. "It's time we got back anyway. Let's just go to class."

Lelouch nodded, then gently took possession of their lunchboxes.

As they walked back to class, Lelouch noted Kallen shifting back into her sickly persona. "I imagine you don't enjoy that a great deal."

"No," she replied softly, trying to stay in character, "but it's the safest way I think." She paused, thinking. "And it's not so bad anymore."

"Really?" He asked, curious.

"Really, Lelouch." She was smiling as they entered the classroom.

Shirley watched them walk in, a little shocked. Lelouch was carrying both their lunchboxes, and they were to all appearances having a marvellous time together.

By themselves.

Since her freshman year at Ashford, she had been interested in Lelouch Lamperouge. She had yet to actually say anything to him about it; she had been afraid of how he would react. Watching him enjoying his time with the Stadtfeld heiress was almost intolerable, though. She resolved to ask Kallen about it.

Lelouch sat as his desk and tried to concentrate on his plans for the resistance, momentarily quite happy in his school life.

* * *

><p>The end of the day came more quickly than usual, and Lelouch resolved to get some more work done before trying to catch up on his rest. He had plenty to think about, and even more to document.<p>

After an afternoon tea with Nunnally, during which he gently denied that he was engaged in a relationship with anyone, he stole away into his bedroom with his newly acquired Britannian military laptop. It was _his_ bedroom. He refused to accept the label _their_ bedroom.

C.C. let him work in peace, though, at least for a while. He was deep in annotations when she spoke.

"You seem to be quite busy." She observed.

"I am documenting my observations about geass."

"Geass?" She inquired, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

"The power you gave me. I heard it when you touched me." He turned to his notes.

"Ooh. What have you discovered?"

"An effective range of about 276 meters. I require direct eye contact for it to work. Any single command will be accepted. I can only use it once per person." He leaned back thoughtfully. "Also, people seem to forget its having been used on them, perhaps because it does something to their cerebrum in order to implant the command."

C.C. raised her eyebrows appreciatively. "Quite a comprehensive assessment, boy."

"My opponent is an empire which directly governs one third of the globe. Geass is my weapon; I must know all that I can to employ it effectively." He stood and walked to the window.

"Why fight them?" She asked, seemingly innocent.

"Because this world is filled with every kind of torment." Lelouch's voice was bitter. "War, disease, poverty. Bitter hatred engendered by factionalisation and racism." His lips curved downward, trembling in disgust. "And it is all the fault of _that man_ and his policies. The weak fall to the strong, the strong fall to the strongest."

"And the strongest rule, is that right? Is that not the harsh reality of this world, Lelouch?" C.C. leaned over to support herself on one shoulder, watching his back for a reaction.

"What of Nunnally? What of an entire nation like Japan, its people torn from one another and driven to hate their conquerors and each other? Suzaku, cursed to choose a side with no right answers? Kallen, her family taken from her, forced to hide her identity and choose a desperate struggle over a normal life? No one can be happy in such a world!" He clenched his fists in rage and tried to control his voice.

C.C. saw the shaking in his shoulders. "So what is your solution, boy?"

Lelouch turned to his chess board and viciously knocked over the white king. He did not turn from it as he spoke. "When someone wins, the fighting will end. I will win, and then it will be over."

"That's it?" She asked, once more drawing herself upright. "You'll be the victor? What if someone thinks to challenge again?"

He stared at the chess board, at the even grid waiting a fair battle. "Is it so good, then, to be strong?" He mused softly. Suddenly he turned to C.C. "The purpose of the strong is to guard the weak; that is the virtue of the strong. That is how Nunnally's peace will be assured, when the strong are lauded for fighting together, for the weak, and not against one another."

She gave him a lopsided grin and fell back onto the bed. "So you're not in this alone, then?"

He regarded her with a grin. " 'We must hang all together, or else most assuredly we will all hang separately.' "

"And you get to play first among equals?"

"I am the only one who can do it."

C.C. laughed. "You're certainly an interesting one, boy. We'll see how this plays out. But no matter what happens, I'll be waiting."

* * *

><p>Staring at the endless series of offerings, photographs, and personal messages attached to the half-shattered wall, Euphemia briefly wondered whether she had overplayed her hand. Suzaku seemed too deep in reflection to respond to any conversation of hers. He seemed so distant.<p>

She had heard of the strange young man accused of murdering her brother. She had looked at his sorrowful face in the news reports when they arrested him, and had followed the dramatic story of his exoneration, kidnapping, and voluntary return to his court martial along with everyone else in the homeland. The son of the last Prime Minister of Japan. More than that, apparent heir to a noble family of his own. He could easily have become the face of the terrorists in Area 11.

Yet he had not, and Euphemia wanted desperately to understand why. She'd escaped deliberately, knowing he was to be released. She had not expected to jump directly into his arms.

She had not expected him to regard her so kindly. Now, looking at the citizen's memorial, she felt that she had done him a disservice in bringing him here. If he was not spurred to speak about his feelings, then she had just brought him unnecessary pain.

Just as she was about to speak, an excited young voice broke out behind them. She listened for a moment; there were two of them, taking photographs of the devastation and chattering happily about the precise armaments of the military deployment. Euphemia felt her hands tighten at her sides.

Before she could take two steps forward, she saw three Elevens approach the two, who she saw now were students. One of them was shouting. When he struck the young Britannian boy, she saw Suzaku go by her in a blur.

"Stop this fighting!"

"Wha! You're that traitor Kururugi!" The red-haired man spat. "Why the hell should I listen to you?"

"Please, there's no reason to fight about this. Just listen-" The other man did not, though, and charged Suzaku. Even as he yelled out a curse, though, Suzaku's hands grabbed his punch surely and guided him in a swift arc overhead into the concrete.

Euphemia's eyes went wide. Everyone was silent for a second.

"Please, I'm a trained soldier. Don't make me fight my own people!"

"You god-damned traitor! You're not Japanese! You're just a coward hiding behind Britannia!"

Euphemia feared that the three would retaliate, and she breathed a sigh of relief when they went on their way, swearing. She walked a little closer, only to see the two students get up, one with a broken camera in his hands.

"You're a worthless Honorary Britannian. Why didn't you get here sooner before they broke my XLR?"

"Yeah! You should have killed those monkeys! I bet you didn't just because you're one of them!"

"Jerk! Why don't you-"

Euphemia had had enough, and walked forward, not even thinking, to slap the kid cleanly across the face. He stood holding his cheek in shock while she tried to contain her rage.

"You _will not_ insult this man any further!" Her skin was flushed, and the two boys thought better of complaining any further. They turned and walked off, glancing over their shoulders nervously.

"Suzaku," she began haltingly, not able to face him, "I'm sorry I asked you to take me here. I'm sorry you had to endure all of that." She didn't know what else to say, what else she could say that would make up for the incredible cruelty he had just faced from both sides.

There was silence, and she really was afraid that he was simply going to walk away. And then she felt his hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't frowning either.

"Euphy, it's okay. It's nothing you did. That's just the way things are," he said sadly. "Before the invasion, I was just like that."

She hesitated, a little shocked by that. "Before? Why before?"

"Well, my father was the last Prime Minister of Japan," he looked at her, and Euphemia nodded. "I figured that you knew. Anyway, I was raised to think that we were better, that Britannia was hostile, worthless, and cruel. My father-" Here he broke off, and Euphy watched as he tried to get control of himself. "My father's death ended the war. I don't want that sacrifice to be in vain."

"Why are you in the Britannian military, then?" She asked.

He looked at her, and she could swear that he was looking through her. "I wanted to keep the peace, because I knew that once Britannia had won, the war would be over here, for these people." He frowned. "But Britannia ordered these civilians executed. They tried to kill my friend." Euphemia gasped, and Suzaku took a breath to steady himself. "But my friend is all right. I want to protect him, though. I wanted to protect these people too." He closed his eyes, and Euphemia almost reached out to him.

"Is it so bad to be weak, Euphy? Is that really so terrible, so that the strong should destroy them?"

She did not know how to respond.

"I don't want anyone else to have to suffer. I don't know how to accomplish it, but I think if I trust my friends," he thought of Lelouch and Nunnally, "that I will be all right."

Euphemia smiled softly and took his hand in her own. "I'm sure you will be, Suzaku."

He smiled in response, and she was happy.

Then they heard an enormous crash, and as they turned toward it they saw a section of a broken amphitheater fall. Next they heard a panicked voice cry out.

"Suzaku! Suzaku! Come over here! The Purebloods are having some kind of an internal fight over there!" A woman was gesturing frantically from the door of a transport truck.

The woman glanced quizzically at Euphemia, then turned back to Suzaku, who had not moved. "Suzaku?"

"Well, let's go then," a man in a white labcoat leaned out of the cab. "Hope you've had a nice day, Suzaku!"

"Wait." Suzaku's voice was calm.

"Eh?" Replied the man sardonically.

"Lloyd, wouldn't this be a great opportunity to gather data on the Lancelot?"

"Suzaku!" The woman scolded.

"Oh ho ho ho!" Lloyd cried happily. "Perhaps so!"

"Miss Cecile, I'm sorry." Suzaku turned to face her. "Euphy, I've enjoyed our day together. Now I need to stop that fight."

She tilted her head and looked worried. "Please, be careful Suzaku."

"I will, don't worry!" He called out as he ran with Lloyd to the back of the transport. Cecile followed, exasperated, as the sounds of battle continued.

As soon as they were out of sight, Euphemia turned toward the amphitheater and ran.

She heard the white Knightmare Frame launch and saw it fling itself into the open theater with a slash harken. She ran faster.

By the time she got into the entryway, the sound of the fight had intensified, then suddenly died down. She heard voices yelling, about Gottwald's betrayal of the Purebloods, and about revenge. She broke into the open and saw several Sutherlands retreating. One of them hurled something into the air.

Her breath caught in her throat as it started to deploy, and it took everything she had not to fall to her knees. Se recognized the mine - she knew what was coming. But suddenly the white Knightmare was there, in front of her, somehow deflecting every bit of shrapnel that came her way. The noise was deafening.

Finally it stopped. She waited a moment to make sure it was clear, and then held herself rigid. She walked out in front of the white Knightmare, not even bothering to check whether Suzaku could see her.

"Stop this this instant!" She commanded angrily.

"Stop!" She called again. "I order it in my name, third princess of the Empire of Britannia, Euphemia li Britannia. Stop this fighting at once!"

As they heard her and saw her expression, every Knightmare sank to one knee in respect. The began calling out disordered apologies.

A moment later, she heard footsteps behind her. "Euphy?" Suzaku said wonderingly as she turned around to regard him, an expression of regal anger still dominating her features. He looked, and then knelt before her. "Princess Euphemia, I apologize. I had no idea that it was you."

Her expression turned a little wistful. "Kururugi Suzaku, rise." He did so. "Will you help me, to make sure that no innocents die in a needless war? Will you accept that command from me?"

He looked up, astonished, and then responded with all the emotion she had not seen when he gazed silently at the memorial wall. "Yes, my lord!"

"Then I so order it, Kururugi Suzaku." And with that, she turned away and strode toward the participants in the battle. Cornelia would be furious, she knew, both at her actions and her words. But in that moment Euphemia found that she was not very worried about it. She believed Suzaku's words about Britannia's role in the massacre. She knew her sister too well to think that Clovis was entirely innocent. Whoever this Zero was, it was clear that Suzaku thought he had acted to stop that massacre. And for her, just at that moment, Suzaku's opinion counted for a great deal.

She schooled her expression as she moved to accept apologies from the knights. It wouldn't do to give too much away.

* * *

><p>AN: Another chapter completed! I really liked planning out the changes in Lelouch's attitude here. Writing from Euphemia's perspective was quite enjoyable as well. I'm really looking forward to Suzaku seeing them at school next; I can hardly wait to get that part done!<p>

Thank you all for your kind reviews and thoughts.

M3RCURI4L: I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

Nightwing of the Azure Shadow: Thanks! I'm trying to avoid reiterating things, and instead focusing on the significant changes in the attitudes of the characters.

nanoman79: I've wondered that myself about the sequence with the Student Council. I elected to stay quiet about it since I figured that it worked quite as well in my story as it did in the series. I plan to change Nunnally's dialogue in the last chapter, as you are quite correct! I hope you enjoy how the changes play out!

Kyogre: Thank you for the compliment ^^ I was really happy when I determined on that particular point of departure with Clovis. The reason I had Kallen agree was that early on, she has little reason to doubt Lelouch, and every reason to look for a friendly face in her hostile school environment. He speaks first. As for Suzaku, I read his devotion to his friend Lelouch to be very deep indeed. Canonically he does not know that Zero ordered the cease-fire; Lelouch can play on his friendship even more strongly because Suzaku does not yet have any commensurate loyalty to Britannia - he has yet to meet Euphemia. But don't worry - it will not be all roses between Lelouch and Suzaku. I have some great plans there!

Ragez: Thanks! I hope this chapter does not disappoint!

Drakyndra: I love the idea of Lelouch dealing with his trust issues. He has so much trouble taking anyone into his confidence; it will be fun to see what happens when he encounters those challenges having already decided not to go it entirely alone. Also, I plan to try not to advance too quickly. Seeing how the characters react is a big part of the fun!

Thanks for reading ^_^

-wedgegeck


	3. Chapter 3

Yet We Will Have Cloven, Chapter Three

Kururugi Suzaku was happy.

He had plenty of reasons to be so; he had been exonerated, first by default of lack of evidence, and then by the timely intervention of an "interested party." Next, he had recovered his original position and even received an officer's promotion. He was to be the official pilot of the first seventh-generation Knightmare frame. His immediate superiors were kind (well, one of them), and he had made a favorable impression on the Sub-Viceroy, third princess of the Empire of Britannia.

Perhaps even better news was the survival of his best friend, and their renewed acquaintance. Although Suzaku was not sure precisely what Lelouch expected of him or what his plans were, Suzaku had faith in his friend. Lelouch was still bitter, of course, but like Suzaku, he had reason to be. The two of them had resolved to work together to make things better; he was not a member of the resistance, but he was Lelouch's ally.

The uncertainty did not worry him. Lelouch did not really worry him. Euphemia's expectations, Lloyd's crafty glances, none of that particularly had him worried. But his entry into Ashford Academy, a school of Britannians his own age, was well worthy of concern. He was sure that Euphemia's intentions were good, but he imagined that things would not be as rosy as she hoped.

When he entered the classroom at the professor's beckoning and was introduced to the class, he was not surprised to hear gasps and immediate whispers. Some people looked frightened, others angry. Suzaku tried to remain positive as he scanned the crowd.

And then he saw Lelouch. It took everything he had to conceal his reaction. As he walked toward his assigned seat, he was careful not to give anything away. Lelouch, for his part, did not even seem to recognize him. As Suzaku sat down, he supposed that it was for the best. He did not want to upset Lelouch's life here, or even worse inadvertently reveal his identity.

Suzaku was mostly silent through morning classes, although he did look up in shock when Kallen was called. He was sure it must be the same girl, but he had no idea why she was at Ashford. He resolved to ask Lelouch when he got the chance. Maybe he could drop his phone number to him surreptitiously or something.

While he was reflecting, lunch began. Suzaku tried to ignore the rising tide of gossip all around him. He saw Lelouch walk over to the red-haired girl's desk and say something, and the two of them headed for the door, presumably to get lunch outside. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lelouch pause, turn his head slightly, and tug at his collar before leaving.

_Meet in the attic_.

It had been a very long time since he had seen that. Suzaku tried not to smile, and politely ignored the other students as he left the classroom, searching for the nearest stairwell.

When he opened the roof access door he felt the warm midday breeze. He smiled, seeing his friend leaning against the railing, waiting quietly with the girl. He walked up to them.

"It's been seven years since we used that signal." He began.

"It's good to see you, Suzaku." Lelouch said warmly. Then he nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm Lelouch Lamperouge," he turned to Kallen. "This is Kallen Stadtfeld; Kallen, meet Suzaku Kururugi."

Suzaku nodded in understanding. "Is, ah," he fumbled, uncertain.

Lelouch smiled. "Nunnally is here, Suzaku. Would you like to have dinner with us this evening?"

He sighed in relief. "I'd like that, Lelouch."

Kallen could no longer retain her curiosity, and her face dropped the hesitant expression Suzaku had seen on it throughout the school day. "Kururugi, how did you end up in Ashford anyway?"

Suzaku scratched the back of his head. "Well, I happened to run into someone who was interested in my welfare, and thought that I should at least finish school." He smiled sheepishly. "What about you, Kallen?"

She frowned. "I'm half-Britannian. My mother is Japanese."

"I'm sorry, Kallen, I didn't mean to say something hurtful," his sincere apology seemed to mollify her a bit.

"So long as you're on our side, I'll let you slide, Kururugi." She smiled slightly.

"Suzaku," Lelouch interrupted, a serious tone in his voice, "Give me your contact information. I haven't taken any steps yet, but when I do I will try to let you know."

Suzaku provided the number, then handed over his cell phone, and Lelouch entered his own contact under a false name. "If you cannot answer, I understand. Once i have something more elaborate in place, I'll tell you."

"All right, Lelouch." Suzaku replied quietly. "I trust you, all right?"

His friend grinned. "Of course. Don't worry, Suzaku."

Kallen watched the exchange with interest.

"What happened to that girl?"

Lelouch's mouth compressed into a line. "She's safe, with me."

"I'm glad she made it through. Why was she being held, anyway?"

"I don't really know what her story is," Lelouch commented ambiguously.

Suzaku accepted his explanation. "Well, I should probably get back. We don't need to be seen together, Kallen, Lelouch."

Lelouch looked a bit pained. "I suppose not. I promise, I'll think of something, Suzaku."

"It's all right," Suzaku reassured him. "I'm just glad you're OK. Call me once classes end, all right? Oh, and it was nice meeting you, Kallen!" He waved and walked off.

"I will," Lelouch replied.

Suzaku walked down the stairs to face the remainder of the day, heartened.

* * *

><p>Euphemia sighed, and wondered how Suzaku's school day was going. She rather wished she was there with him. Cornelia had arrogated to herself and her advisers all political and military power in Area 11, leaving her title as Sub-Viceroy basically an empty formality. Euphemia loved her sister, but she was feeling more than a little hemmed in.<p>

Cornelia's first action upon arriving was to chide her for her familiar form of address and her actions regarding the Pureblood faction. After that, Euphemia had watched as her older sister dismantled the existing governmental infrastructure, and proceeded to sortie on a daily basis against various terrorist organizations.

It had been all she could do to get Suzaku's charges honorably dismissed and his promotion in order. Now she was basically trapped in the government complex, trying to find something to do. Which was precisely why she had ordered her "assistant" (babysitter might be a more appropriate term) to guide her to her brother Clovis' gallery.

Suzaku's words had troubled her, but they had not shocked her. Cornelia had tried to shield her from an awareness of Britannian colonial policy, but it was all too obvious from Cornelia's own words, her schooling, and her recently increased access to sensitive information: a mass execution was not unheard of. It was difficult for her to imagine Clovis actually ordering such a thing, but it was disturbingly easy for her to imagine it carried out under his personal aegis.

Euphemia sighed. It was not normal for her to think ill of others, and least of all of her family. She turned her attention to the wall before her and caught sight of a painting of two children, a boy and a girl, seated on their mother's lap. Euphemia closed her eyes and pressed her lips together.

Lelouch and Nunnally. She had been so young when it had all happened. The Lady's Marianne's death, Nunnally's terrible crippling.

And Lelouch. He had always been so calm and clever, and that day he had thrown everything away in a rage. Then they had been forcibly moved to Japan, and afterward the invasion had begun.

Euphemia had never looked at her father the same way, after that.

"Are these all my brother's work?" She asked the attendant as she reached out to delicately touch the portrait before her.

"Yes, Princess. They are all His Majesty Clovis' work."

She thought of Suzaku's words, of the massacre of civilians in the Shinkuju ghetto. She regarded the gentle brush strokes and delicate color on the canvas. She thought of Cornelia, and of Lelouch and Nunnally.

"The palette is beautifully complex, is it not?" Euphemia asked softly.

* * *

><p>"Welcome home, onii-sama." Nunnally's cheerful expression shifted as she cocked her head to the side. "Is there someone with you?"<p>

Lelouch motioned Suzaku over quietly. The boy knelt softly and took Nunnally's hand. Her face showed confusion, then hope as she covered his hand with her own.

"Suzaku? Is it really you?"

"Yes, Nunnally. It's good to see you again." Lelouch looked on, pleased at Suzaku's kind smile and Nunnally trembling happiness.

"I'm so glad you're safe! We had always hoped you were all right, but onii-sama decided it would be too dangerous to search for you." Her voice expressed her regret.

"It's all right, Nunnally. I'm here now, and I'm even going to be attending Ashford with Lelouch."

"That's wonderful! Please come and visit whenever you like, Suzaku." She smiled happily, then spoke over her shoulder. "Sayoko, can Suzaku have dinner with us?"

The maid smiled softly. "Of course, Nunnally. I'll set out a place for him." She bowed lightly to Lelouch and Suzaku and made her way to the dining room.

Dinner was an entirely pleasant experience for Lelouch. Nunnally was overjoyed at seeing Suzaku again, and for his part he was just as happy to see her. Lelouch remained mostly quiet as the two of them spoke, smiling at their stories and remembrances . Suzaku carefully omitted Lelouch's role in his trial, but when Nunnally asked him about school, he spoke up.

"Actually, I was able to come to Ashford because I was lucky enough to meet Princess Euphemia, and she sponsored me." He glanced at Lelouch, who was looking over in surprise.

Nunnally was quiet for a moment. "She's still the same kind sister I remember, then? That makes me very happy." She was smiling, but Lelouch could tell she was troubled.

"Nunnally, I'm sorry. I wish we could see her, but it's just too dangerous."

"I didn't mean to upset you, Nunnally" Suzaku said, chagrined.

"Oh no, you've done nothing wrong." She smiled genuinely now. "I'm really very happy to know that she is still as I remember her. I understand that it would be too dangerous to reveal our identities, onii-sama. I do." She paused and bent her head down. "It is hard, but I know that it is for the best."

Lelouch did not reply, lost in his thoughts.

"Maybe that won't be true forever, Nunnally," Suzaku said hopefully. "A lot can happen, you know."

"Thank you, Suzaku. That does make me feel better. But you'll need to visit again to make sure!" She laughed.

Lelouch smiled gratefully at Suzaku, and they finished their meal.

After dinner and tea, Nunnally went off to get ready for bed. Lelouch promised that he and Suzaku would be by to tuck her in and say good night.

Suzaku looked a little nervous as they walked down the hallway to Lelouch's room. "I'm sorry if I said something wrong, Lelouch."

"No, I'm glad to know it, Suzaku. Really."

"Do you … hate them all?" He asked, honestly curious.

They paused in front of the door to his room. Lelouch replied without turning his head. "I could never hate Euphy."

At this Suzaku smiled. He quickly expressed his surprise when the door opened and he saw the girl from Shinjuku lying on Lelouch's bed eating a pizza. C.C. simply cocked an eyebrow at their entrance and turned her attention back to the pizza.

"Doesn't seem very clever to bring a Britannian soldier into the bedroom, Lelouch."

Lelouch sighed. "C.C., this is my friend Suzaku. Suzaku, this is C.C."

"C.C.?" He repeated uncertainly. "Is that her name?"

"Yes boy, you can call me C.C." She looked at him calmly.

"She's quite irritating," Lelouch commented as he loosened his collar.

"Why were they," Suzaku stopped and turned his address to the green-haired girl. "Why were they holding you?"

"I don't know, really," she replied calmly.

Suzaku frowned. "You don't?" He asked doubtfully.

"Don't even bother, Suzaku," Lelouch stated tiredly. "I assure you you'll get exactly nowhere. Anyway, for now she's staying with me in secret. If they capture her, I'm sure the same or worse will happen again."

His friend's expression darkened. "I understand. Lelouch, what exactly is it that you want me to do?"

Lelouch looked speculative. "I don't know yet, exactly. I'm waiting for things to come together."

"You know that Viceroy Cornelia is pretty busy already," he said warningly.

Lelouch folded his arms and regarded the chess board. "Yes, I know. But we need to see what she does before I know how to react. As it is now, I'm still trying to get organized." He turned to look at Suzaku. "It's hard to decide how to run a rebellion, after all."

Suzaku sighed. "All right, Lelouch. I'll make sure to keep everything as quiet as a I can, and if I find out anything, I'll tell you."

He nodded in response. "Good. Also, Kallen doesn't know who Nunnally and myself really are. She knows something of the story, but not the particulars."

"I thought so. I'll need to stay away from you two, Lelouch. We don't want your history getting out."

Lelouch bit his lip. "I'll try to think of some way to change that, Suzaku. You know Nunnally will want to see you."

"I know."

The waited in silence, C.C. apparently ignoring both of them.

"Well, let's have you say good night to Nunnally. I've got work to do." Lelouch guided him out the door, both of them thinking quietly.

Behind them, C.C.'s golden eyes watched, unnoticed.

* * *

><p>Jeremiah Gottwald was not having the best month of his life. Prince Clovis' death had been a terrible blow, reminding him at once of another member of the royal household who had died under his watch. That frustration was part of what had driven him to accept Kewell Soresi's suggestion that the Pureblood faction punish Bartley's failure themselves.<p>

Silence from the homeland seemed to validate their actions; as the Purebloods had taken over effective command of Area 11, Jeremiah had felt positive. Then they had discovered Kururugi's identity, and offered him as the assassin.

And Zero had ruined it all. He had no memory of the event, but the recordings were incontrovertible: he had made a deal with Zero and let Kururugi go. Kururugi's subsequent return and exoneration had destroyed what remained of his credibility, and then Kewell had nearly managed to kill him with that ambush in the ghetto.

To be rescued by Kururugi Suzaku was almost absurd, but to be rescued by Princess Euphemia was the final blow. He had suspected that Princess Cornelia would not have any pity, but he had hoped that the blame would fall on Kewell.

He had been wrong. The Princess's knight, Guilford, had just released him from captivity and announced his demotion. Jeremiah was delaying his return to his quarters; he wasn't sure how to handle Kewell, to say nothing of ViIletta.

One thing was clear. Whatever had happened, Zero was the one at fault, responsible for his humiliation. So long as he remained in the military, he might yet have a chance at revenge.

* * *

><p>Nunnally guided her wheelchair carefully down the hallway, ignoring thoughts of homework in favor of worrying. She had just encountered Nina Einstein skipping class, itself somewhat exceptional from the studious girl. But it was her reason for skipping and tone of her voice which had made Nunnally so concerned.<p>

"_There's an _eleven_ in our class_."

The young girl had not known exactly how to respond. It was so difficult for her to imagine that sort of unreasoning hatred, particularly of someone like Suzaku who was always so gentle. Nunnally suspected that Nina was far from alone in her attitude, and she had experienced enough cruel dismissal in her short life to understand that others would undoubtedly be more combative.

She had no way to help Suzaku, although she suspected that Lelouch was attempting to find a way to do so. And Lelouch … well, she was almost as concerned about him as she was about Suzaku. He had been so distant recently, keeping odd hours and being generally evasive.

Nunnally also admitted to herself that she was a little jealous; he was acting very close to not one but two girls, C.C. and Kallen Stadtfeld. It wasn't that she wanted her brother to devote himself to her alone, but she wanted him to at least be honest with her. She had genuinely enjoyed C.C.'s unexpected visit, and was waiting for Kallen to say hello as well.

The more time went by, the more she wondered whether perhaps those girls weren't saying hello because of her, and that perhaps her brother was evasive because they did not want to consider a crippled girl as a future sister-in-law.

For as long as she could remember Lelouch had been by her side, and after the death of their mother he had been doubly so. She had grown out of her tantrums when she was alone; he had grown to respect her independence. That did not mean that girls who might be interested in him, though, would look kindly on her.

Nunnally bit her lip, and hoped desperately that she was not hindering her brother's happiness. What if she was? Would he tell her? Did anything she knew of him even hint that he would suggest such a thing to her?

She made her way down the hall, worrying but resolving not to ask him about it just yet.

It was important to trust, after all.

* * *

><p>Lelouch fell back into his couch with a sigh. The school day had been a marginal disaster, and it was finally club activity time; this left Lelouch a little while to further his own preparations while the other students were occupied. He retrieved his partially redone case, intended for secure and discreet transportation of his Zero costume. He had finished the false imaging layer the evening previous, but was still working out the rest of the settings.<p>

He got about three minutes of work done before the door opened and he smelled pizza.

"You just plan to leave that mask lying around in a suitcase?"

He did not look up as he carefully placed a layer of lead sheeting. "I assure you that I am more than capable of concealing such a simple item. You should worry about your own affairs."

"Hmmm," she sat down and began to eat idly. "We're in this together, I'm afraid. I cannot help but be concerned, Lelouch."

"Just let me handle this, and leave it alone. I will let you know when I need your help."

She rolled her eyes in reply.

The door slid open suddenly and Lelouch hastily moved to conceal the mask.

"Onii-sama, would you like some tea?" Lelouch let out a sigh of relief.

"Certainly, Nunnally," he replied and walked over to the doorway.

"Did you order pizza again?" She questioned.

"Well, I'm collecting points," he send a glare toward an unconcerned C.C. as he left the room. C.C. heard a small sound, and noticed that the case had fallen over. The bedroom door closed behind Lelouch.

C.C. went back to her pizza silently.

A few moments later, Lelouch was sitting down to tea with his sister.

"How are things going with Suzaku?" Nunnally asked, thinking of Nina.

Lelouch hesitated a moment before responding. "Not as well as I would like." He thought of Suzaku washing the hateful message scrawled on his shirt. "I'm afraid that it may take some time for him to be accepted, but I promise I'll do what I can to help."

She smiled softly. "I know, onii-sama. I'm just worried for him. Do you think that we-" Nunnally's comment was cut off midstream at Lelouch's horrified shriek.

"Aaaaaaah!" He cried in a panicked tone. There, not six feet away, was his mask attached to a small grey cat.

"Onii-sama, what's wrong?" Nunnally asked, sounding concerned.

"Wha-, ah, Nunnally, I have to go. I'll be back later! Sorry!" He ran out of the room after the cat without further ceremony.

"Eh?" Nunnally wondered aloud at the absent room.

* * *

><p>Lelouch ran out of the front of the building, seeing the cat begin to outpace him heading for the main campus. "Damn it! No!"<p>

"What are you so upset about, Lelouch?" Milly asked suspiciously as she walked up to the building with Rivalz in tow.

"Nothing, nothing!" He replied in a panicked tone. "I have something to do. I'll see you both later!" He ran off to after the cat.

The two of them watched in surprise as Lelouch, who in their experience never ran anywhere and to whom panic was unknown, tore off toward the campus. "This requires further investigation!" Milly cried happily as she pulled Rivalz into the residence. "Let's find Nunnally!"

Inside, C.C. watched Lelouch run. "Ah, well, it is his problem after all."

* * *

><p>Kallen was walking back from the library, intending to make her way to a possible Student Council meeting before heading home for the day. She was also considering a visit to Lelouch, but she was not quite sure whether doing so would draw any undue curiosity. That Shirley girl had been giving her a great deal of silent attention, and she did not want a confrontation.<p>

Suddenly her phone rang. "Kallen!" She heard Lelouch's panicked voice on the other end of the line. "Kallen, I need your help!"

"Lelouch?" She replied nervously. It was so unlike him to sound that way. "Are you all right? What do you need?"

"Damn! My …" He lowered his voice a bit, panting. "My mask! Zero's mask! Some damned cat ran off with it and I need you to-"

His voice was overwhelmed by a sudden loud announcement over the PA system. "Everyone, there is a small grey cat running around campus right now!" Milly's voice sounded at once smug and conspiratorial. "The one who catches it will net priority funding from the Student Council for their club in the next budget, and!" She paused dramatically. "You get to kiss a member of the Student Council! Go! Find that cat!"

Kallen's mouth fell open in horror. "Kallen, Kallen!" She heard Lelouch's shout through the phone.

"Did you hear that," she asked numbly.

"Yes! Now hurry and find it! Call me if you spot it!"

"Yes," she said, coming out of her shock. "All right!" She hung up and turned around, only to see no less than sixteen boys staring at her. "What is this?"

"We can kiss whoever we want, right?"

"That means her, right?"

"And it can be any kind of kiss, right?"

"Can we tell her where to kiss us?"

Kallen screamed in frustration before stalking off, muttering furiously "stupid Britannians, stupid Britannians!"

And what in the world was Lelouch doing misplacing Zero's mask, anyway?

"You idiot!"

Kallen made her way through the walkways, dodging students and running when unobserved. _Damn this sickly girl persona!_

She rounded a corner and ran headlong into Shirley, knocking them both to the ground.

"Ah, it's you!" Shirley said pointing at her.

"Shirley, what are you wearing?" Kallen asked, staring at her.

Shirley blushed. "My swimsuit! I didn't have time to change - we need to find that cat!"

Kallen stood and handed her uniform jacket over. "Yes! Let's go!" She ran off with Shirley, wondering what exactly she was supposed to do with Zero's mask if she found it with Shirley.

Fortunately, they had only been looking for about four minutes together when they caught sight of the cat. After a brief chase Kallen was confident that they had cornered it under a stairwell. "Shirley, stand back and make sure it doesn't escape if I miss it," she ordered.

"Wa, wait!" Shirley reached out and grabbed her arm. "Kallen, if you catch it, are you going to kiss Lelouch?"

"What, what are you talking about?" Kallen blushed.

"You're always hanging around with him! You eat lunch together!" Shirley drew closer to her. "Are you dating? Have you already kissed him?" She gasped at her own theory. "I bet you have, and that's why you're going to catch the cat! So he won't kiss anyone else!" She was blushing a deep red.

Kallen stared in embarrassed amazement. "No! No, that's not right at all!"

"Kallen! Tell me the truth!"

Unobserved, the cat made its way around the corner of the stairs as Kallen tried in vain to dissuade Shirley.

* * *

><p>Lelouch was gasping for air. He had had to geass no less than four people so far, and he was still not in possession of the mask. <em>I refuse to be exposed in such a stupid way!<em> He thought furiously.

Running up to another open stairwell, he saw a familiar face. Glancing quickly to see that no one was around, he called out. "Suzaku!"

"Lelouch!" The other boy waved in response and jogged over. "What's this about a cat?"

Milly's most recent announcement had featured Nunnally's meowing, which Lelouch imagined was not helping his cause. He grabbed Suzaku by the shoulder and regarded him seriously. "It stole Zero's mask."

"Huh?" Suzaku replied blankly. "Wait, really?" He looked around. "Are you serious Lelouch?"

"Yes I'm serious!" Lelouch replied, trying to hide the note of hysteria in his voice. "We have to find it!"

Just then, he noticed a familiar black cat run by toward the stairs, with a group of students not more than thirty seconds behind it. "Suzaku! Stairs! Now!"

They ran off just ahead of the crowd. Lelouch's lack of stamina left him staggering up the last two flights - when he got to the top Suzaku was already clambering out a window onto the roof in pursuit of the thief. He paused a moment, grateful to have Suzaku getting it for him.

Then he paused. He saw a large crowd gathering below, recognized his sister among them. _Of course_.

Lelouch crawled out the window and saw that Suzaku was already in the belfry with the cat and the mask. _Perfect!_ He let out a small shout of surprise to get Suzaku's attention, and proceeded to slide down toward the edge, falling forward in a not-entirely-intentional manner. Below, the crowd gasped.

Suzaku turned and slid to his rescue, grabbing his hand before Lelouch fell off the roof. He drew his friend safely back up and said under the noise of the applause, "Lucky you, the mask fell off up there in the belfry."

"Perfect! Let's get down there with the cat then."

They made their way down together. Suzaku noted that the crowd fell to muttering when he walked out carrying the cat, who had wasted no time in sinking its claws into his arm. Lelouch controlled his expression and waited a moment before putting a hand on his friend's shoulder and offering the other. "Thanks, Suzaku Kururugi. You saved my life."

Suzaku smiled in response. Milly walked forward. "Wonderful performance, the two of you! Thanks for saving my VP, Suzaku!"

"Milly, Suzaku has yet to join a club. Might it be all right to have him join the Student Council?"

Milly's eyes twinkled as she replied, "How can I refuse my Vice-President?"

Nunnally guided herself forward and took both the boys' hands as Rivalz took possession of the cat. "Congratulations, Suzaku. Thank you for saving my brother. Now both of you lean over."

They complied, and she kissed them quickly. "You'll have to settle for a kiss from a junior council member!"

Laughter peppered the crowd before a lone cheer started everyone going. Kallen looked on, bemused, as Lelouch gave her a conspiratorial wink. She couldn't help but smile in response. A few meters away, Shirley watched the exchange with an unreadable expression.

The rest of the afternoon was spent introducing Suzaku to the Student Council members and the club room. Milly's disappointment at having nothing with which to blackmail Lelouch faded with a new person to harass, and Nina faded into the background as best she could, not speaking to Suzaku.

Kallen recalled Lelouch's panicked phone call, and was quietly amazed that he had been able to turn the situation to Suzaku's advantage. As the afternoon progressed, she wondered what to do about Shirley, whose continual attention was getting to be unnerving.

Lelouch hid his mask, made sure C.C. stayed put, and spent the afternoon relaxing. Nunnally was happy and everything had gone better than he had expected.

All he had to do now was figure out how to defeat Britannia, and things would really be sewn up.

* * *

><p>AN: Another chapter done, although a bit shorter than I had planned. I had initially wanted to cover the incident at the Saitama ghetto, but this ended up being entirely too much fun to write. I know it seems a bit light-hearted, but we've hardly even begun Lelouch has yet to make a second appearance as Zero.<p>

Ragez - No, she's just exercising her authority. I'm pretty sure Suzaku'd have a stroke if he was knighted then!

Mr. Eclipse - Thanks! Kallen's trust has yet to be put through the wringer, so I hope you enjoy her reactions!

karndragon - I am as well! Writing each character's thoughts on the events is most of my enjoyment in this fanfic.

Kyogre - No need to apologize for writing a review! I really appreciate all the consideration you've shown in your comments. I hope you'll like these next chapters, which are going to get into the more dangerous side of things now that the characters are more or less ready to get hit with some trauma. Suzaku is always a controversial case - I respect your opinion on this one! Definitely watch the first season again if you get the time, though. It is interesting to see how many things are so very different at the beginning. Oh, also, I enjoy writing Kallen and Lelouch at school. They'll have hell to go through shortly, so it's nice to have some time in relative peace.

nxkris - Thank you! I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story!

SrgntDrew - Glad you're enjoying it!

snakeboy33 - I think that Euphy and Nunnally have very interesting parts to play in Code Geass, and I am happy to have them in some different circumstances here. Look forward to it!

nanoman79 - Thanks! I'm always worried that I'm shortchanging one or another, which will only get more difficult as more characters are introduced. That's part of the reason that these early chapters are longer than I expected, in fact. Although I have not gotten to Saitama (next time!) I can assure you that I'm working on it now. I hope you'll like it!

Thanks for reading!

-wedgegeck


	4. Chapter 4

Yet We Will Have Cloven, Chapter Four

The silence in the audience chamber was deafening as the Emperor rose to his feet, fury written on his face. "You are dead."

The young boy fell back in terror, his earlier bluster lost in fear for himself and for his sister. He tried not to shake, tried to remember his dignity among his father's court, the whispering, sniveling, dishonorable multitude.

But he failed. He was as yet only a boy.

"You have been dead since the day you were born. Who gave you the clothes on your back, the food that you've eaten?" The voice thundered. His father towered over him, impossibly large.

"Even the death of my son Clovis proves this truth! Britannia evolves! Britannia grows stronger! Britannia will conquer! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!" The crowd on the monitor rose along with the crowd watching it, replying in kind.

"All hail Britannia! All hail Britannia!"

"Lelouch! You are nothing! Nothing!"

Lelouch found himself unable to stand, unable even to crawl. "You are WEAK. For that sin, you will be killed, and in your death will be written the glory of this nation, of our way of life!"

He felt the weight of the emperor's disdain on him, the scorn of the courtiers, the utter certainty that he was alone, that Nunnally was alone, that they were both lost with no one to save them. Black spots swam into his vision as he fell, unable to move. "No! Nunnally! Nunnally! Nunnally!"

* * *

><p>"Nunnally!" Lelouch screamed as he fell off of the couch. He was covered in sweat, eyes wide in panic. He stayed that way for a few minutes before a semblance of calm returned to him. Lelouch shuddered out a sigh.<p>

"Nightmare, boy?" He heard the sardonic question coming from his bed. C.C. was leaning over the side, watching him intently with no emotion visible on her face.

Lelouch took a deep breath before responding. "I'm fine, C.C." _I __don__'__t __need __anyone__'__s __help_.

She quirked an eyebrow, then drew back out of sight. "Have it your way, then. But I imagine that your scream woke someone."

He glanced over at the clock. 4:45AM. It was going to be a long day. Lelouch stood up and sat back on the couch, placing his hands over his face. _That __monster_, he thought viciously. Clovis's funeral and the emperor's speech yesterday had disturbed him more than he had thought. He had not had a nightmare about his banishment in a long time.

Then again, perhaps killing Clovis had something to do with it as well.

His musings were halted by the sound of a light tap at the door. "Lelouch-sama? Mistress Nunnally would like to know whether you are all right." Sayoko waited for a reply in respectful silence.

Lelouch shook his head walked over to the door. "I'll come to see her in a moment, Sayoko. Tell her I'm all right."

She said nothing in reply, undoubtedly already on her way to apprise Nunnally of the situation. Lelouch paused, reflecting on his sister. In the wake of his banishment she had been the only thing that had mattered. He had resolved never to trust another with her safety. He had trusted Suzaku, once; perhaps he could do so again.

Weakness. Was he yet weak, even with this strange power? According to his father, it was all in the results.

He would just have to see how the pieces arranged themselves. Lelouch left his room and walked down to begin his day by comforting his sister.

* * *

><p>It was a rather gloomy day, Cornelia thought as she sat down to breakfast. Gloomy and altogether too quiet as she reviewed personnel files early in the morning, anticipation having won out over sleep. She was ready for battle; going over the facts she'd already gathered was just a way to kill time.<p>

At least breakfast was good. She glanced up at Gilbert G. P. Guilford, who was standing at attention, not sitting in the presence of his charge. Cornelia smiled. There were gloomy days and early mornings, but Gilbert was there just the same; he never varied.

"Gilbert, sit down and eat. We've a long day ahead and I need you at your best." Cornelia stated with muted affection.

"Certainly, Princess," her knight replied. He sat down and carefully topped off her cup of coffee before pouring his own. She kept her eyes on the data pad, ignoring the look of concern on his face.

It was warranted this morning, she knew. Gilbert had been with her since her early academy days, and he was familiar with Cornelia's great obsessions: Lady Marianne, Euphemia, Schneizel, Lelouch, Nunnally. Now Clovis was gone, and Cornelia was determined to avenge herself on the terrorists who she blamed for three deaths in her family.

She was not being entirely objective, and Gilbert was loathe to confront her about it. She knew this; he knew this. There was simply nothing to be said. It was a family matter.

Setting the data pad aside, Cornelia turned to breakfast. She was also concerned about Euphemia, and ASEECS, and about the young man she had promoted there. He was an Eleven, albeit an Honorary Britannian, and his skill was admirable. His deference, too, was admirable.

Yet she was more than a little irritated by Euphemia's opinion of him. No fault of his, none that she could see. She was not being objective.

She frowned a bit as she ate. Was all this clear lack of objectivity hindering her? Would it prove her undoing in battle? Was she making irrational decisions?

Then again, Cornelia reflected, rationality did not always win the day. For now, for today, she would stick by her plan and call out the terrorist who flaunted a death in her family. It was the honorable thing to do. The noble thing to do.

She inadvertently caught Gilbert's eye as she looked up. He saw her furrowed brow, but again remained silent. Cornelia looked away and forced herself to eat.

A gloomy day indeed.

* * *

><p>Lelouch walked the quiet hallways of Ashford, glad to have a break. Ohgi's phone call moments before had soured his mood yet further; he had placated the man as best he could, but ultimately Lelouch was running out of excuses. The resistance group would want to move before he was prepared; his options were either to lose momentum by inaction or by an underwhelming show of planning.<p>

_Weak_. He shook his head to discard the voice, but it hardly helped. It was as though his father's shadow were on his back today.

It had been so natural to take the initiative at Shinjuku. Even in the hurry to liberate Suzaku, he had not found himself lacking time. He had felt ready. Now, though, he felt as though time was being managed by someone else, and he was in the middle of playing their game.

He needed to regain control of the situation.

Lelouch was still distracted a few hours later when the announcement came over the news stations; a planned restructuring of the Saitama Ghetto. He swore under his breath. No time to prepare, and he had to respond. This was Cornelia pushing Zero, and he had to push back. Was he up for it?

Somehow, he did not feel the same as he had in Shinjuku.

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you, there is nothing going on between us! Shirley, we're just friends." Kallen did her utmost to keep the irritation out of her voice and retain her soft-spoken persona, but it was wearing thin. She had been accosted by Shirley only moments after receiving notice of the forthcoming "urban renewal" in Saitama; she was in no mood to be confronted over her supposed feelings for Lelouch.<p>

Particularly since she was quite uncertain about them herself.

"Kallen, are you sure?" Shirley asked, disbelief plain on her features.

"Yes, I'm sure we're really just friends. Really."

"Well, all right. I'm sorry to have gotten upset about it, Kallen. I don't know why I'm so emotional about it," Shirley sounded genuinely apologetic. Kallen was rather inclined to forgive her, save for her desire to talk to Lelouch.

"Certainly, Shirley. Don't even worry about it." She tried to smile.

"I suppose I should get ready for practice. Kallen, please don't mention this to Lelouch! I'm sure he'd misunderstand!"

_I__'__m __sure __he __would__,_ Kallen reflected. "Of course! I'll be discreet."

Shirley nodded and waved goodbye as she jogged off. Kallen waited until she was out of sight, then sent a text message to Lelouch.

No response.

Impatient, she turned toward his living quarters. Hopefully he had a plan.

Kallen was approaching the clubhouse from the courtyard when she spotted a familiar figure walking toward the street. In contrast with her usual aloof stroll, C.C. seemed irritated. Kallen elected to follow her; she rarely went anywhere without Lelouch, so he was likely ahead of her or soon to follow. She caught up to the green-haired girl a moment later.

"C.C.! Where's Lelouch?" The other girl halted and turned to face her.

She was angry, or at least frustrated; Kallen could see it in her expression. Still, she looked around before responding. "He's gone to Saitama."

"Saitama? He has a plan then? When is he contacting us?" Kallen felt a momentary burst of purpose. She could be of help, maybe prevent the tragedy that had occurred in Shinjuku!

"He's gone alone, girl. He doesn't want any help, it seems." C.C. sounded a little bitter.

"That's, that's crazy! Why wouldn't he get us to help him?" She tried to keep her voice under control.

C.C. turned away and began walking again. "Because he's a little fool."

"Wait! Where are you going?"

She sighed before responding, "To save him, obviously. I can't have him dying here."

"Well, I'm coming with you. I can't believe he would do that. Doesn't he trust us?"

"Hmph. Apparently not enough." C.C. paused a moment and looked over her shoulder as they neared the street. "What are you going to do, girl?"

Kallen glared back at her, obviously irritated. "I'll come with you. He needed us in Shinjuku; I can help him here too."

The frustration left C.C.'s features then, replaced by a soft smile. "Aren't you the devoted one? Let's see what we can do then."

They went off together, hurrying now. There was not very much time before the planned assault would begin.

* * *

><p>Lelouch was not having a particularly good day. When Suzaku had confirmed that he would not be taking part in any operations, and therefore that the Lancelot would be indisposed, Lelouch had thought himself as good as victorious, despite his limited time for preparation.<p>

After all, hadn't he won in Shunjuku, with no preparation at all, even with the Lancelot in place?

This was different, however. His makeshift army was different. Perhaps Ohgi's group were a cut above the rest; perhaps Kallen had just been that good; perhaps he had just been lucky...

No, it had not just been luck. Just like it was not luck now. Lelouch was being outplayed, and he knew it.

Part of it was Cornelia. She was practiced, brave, and competent; Clovis had been none of those. Lelouch suspected he was her better in the latter category, but he could in no way make up for the other two. And her troops, well... He looked over his display and saw that the last of the R group had ceased responding. The transponders for two of them were still active, meaning that the terrorists in them had fled. His lip curled in disgust.

_Cowards_.

He heard a mortar impact no less than a hundred meters from his concealed position. _Not __concealed __for __long_, he reflected bitterly. He fought to quell the sense of panic.

Ohgi had not run. Kallen had not run. Even that idiot Tamaki, with all his complaining, had held the line. It wasn't just Cornelia and her troops making the difference. It was his own.

Lelouch clenched his fist in frustrated rage. Was this it, then? Even with his geass, with his earlier victory, he could not stand up and win against a strong opponent? Was this going to be the end? Was he weak?

Two more knightmares down.

Another one.

Panicked shouting across the ranks.

Disorder. Chaos. Defeat.

_Nunnally_, _I__'__m __sorry_.

He looked down at the tactical display, resolving to try to sneak in inside Cornelia's G1. It was the only way now; there would be no general victory here. If he could do that much.

For a moment, he considered running. He could get away, surely, leaving the knightmare frame behind. But he would lose. Lose, and be weak, and embrace that weakness by running. Panic warred with his personal pride. Trembling, Lelouch began to check his readout for a way to the G1. He could do it.

Even as he watched, though, he saw two Britannian IFFs go offline; Cornelia's men, not his own. He looked again; another fell. Then another. _Who __could __be __doing __this__?_ From tactical, it looked like one unit fighting forward. He paused and looked again. No, it was two of them- one former R unit and one of the P group. One hanging back and the other engaging close. _Who __could__-_

"Zero! ZERO! Where the hell are you?" The enraged voice broke over the communicator, clearly female. "What the hell are you doing? Answer me!" She sounded angry, very angry. Lelouch felt a small smile on his lips. Very angry, but more than a little fearful. Not of the Britannians, either.

Fearful for him. Worried for him.

Here was a soldier he could use!

"Q-1, I'm pleased to hear your voice," Lelouch hoped that the static and background noise disguised the relief and happiness in his tone.

"You have some explaining to do, _Zero_," Kallen's voice came back, still angry but definitely relieved.

Lelouch sat up straight and took stock of the situation. It was ugly, to be sure. Ugly, but a great deal better than before. There were possibilities now, paths to an honorable retreat. Options.

"Don't worry, Q-1," he said, confidence coming back into his voice, "just trust me for now."

"Oh, she will, _Zero_," came another voice, and Lelouch choked for a moment before recovering. He glanced at tactical again; yes, that behavior fit quite well. "Q-2, thank you. Hold your positions momentarily, both of you. Everyone on the ground, continue the evacuation effort. P-group, I want you to advance to the following positions, then wait for further instructions. Cornelia will not escape this battle unbloodied!"

He smiled. This was not going to be any sort of overwhelming success. No grand defeat of Cornelia's forces. But he - they, rather, were not going to resign here. "Prepare yourself for this, sister," he whispered to himself.

* * *

><p>"My lord, it appears that the terrorists are fighting back once again. We've lost four units in this sector in the last three minutes."<p>

Cornelia frowned at her display. Zero, if indeed it was Zero, had stumbled, but he appeared to have some fight left yet. Still, with his reduced numbers, Cornelia expected that another round by some of her elites would break his momentum.

Terrorists, she reflected, were not soldiers.

"My knight! Report."

Gilbert's face came over the display, concentration evident on his features. "Resistance has fallen off here, Princess. I am proceeding to the location where Jarvis Team was defeated."

"Good, Guilford. Report if you see anything unusual. Gervais is approaching the position ahead of you."

"Yes, My lord!"

Cornelia paged over to the readout from Gervais' frame next, wrinkled her brow, then contacted him. "Gervais, what do you make of that?"

"My lord, there appear to be two of our units behind cover. They appear to be inactive. They did not attempt to evade when I fired."

"Abandoned untouched? What cowards!" Cornelia looked on in disgust. If this was the best Zero could come up with, these terrorists would not last long.

"Gervais, this is Guilford. I am approaching your position from the Northwest. Once I arrive you will circle the cover and we will check the status of those KMFs."

Cornelia refrained from comment. She knew that destroying two (if not more) knightmares was an unnecessary waste, in addition to being unproductive; they might find some clue as to how Zero had gained control of them. Guilford was correct in this decision; observe, confirm, and then proceed. Based on her assessment of losses, Zero could not have more than eight active frames at the outside; from what they had seen so far, none of them were a match for her soldiers.

She and the rest of the command staff watched as Guilford rendezvoused and began to circle the silent frames. There was no active resistance elsewhere, only civilians fleeing the ghetto.

"My lord," Gervais began, "both frames are open. The pilots are not in the machines at this time. I see nothing around them."

Cornelia processed this news silently. Was this it then? Had the pilots abandoned their machines after a brief rally? She was on the point of ordering Gervais to hold and have more units scout the area when one of the machines exploded.

* * *

><p>To his credit, Gervais reacted quickly and did not panic, but he was still off-balance. A burst of KMF rifle fire decimated first his factsphere, then the center gyro of his frame. "Dammit! Ejecting!" He called out before punching the eject.<p>

Guilford had already taken cover, out of the only possible line of fire from the sniper that had taken out Gervais. He was scanning the area, contemplating his next move, when a warning rang out over the communicator. He sidestepped quickly, luckily just avoiding the blow that had been aimed at his factsphere from above.

Instead, the terrorist Sutherland took out his left arm from the elbow joint down. Guilford pulled back quickly, careful not to enter the sniper's line of fire.

"Guilford! We have multiple reinforcements coming your way." He heard the princess's voice over his communicator.

"Yes, my lord!" He called out, and struck toward the Sutherland.

He noted curiously that the Sutherland did not back away, or even seem hesitant as he charged. The pilot had moved very smoothly, he knew, to leap from the building behind him and strike him unnoticed. Whoever was piloting that frame was good.

"Friendlies incoming your position in one-hundred twenty seconds, Lord Guilford." He dismissed the update, focused on his charge. Astonishingly, the Sutherland stayed still. He was less than thirty meters away when it suddenly leapt forward.

And then, unbelievably, the Sutherland rolled 180 degrees off the partly collapsed building to his right, and ripped the lance out of his grasp, flinging it to the side. Guilford recovered quickly, trying to ascertain how the hell that had happened. The pilot was not stopping though; the terrorist was almost behind him now, tearing through the environment with its landspinners, using them to redirect its momentum off the damaged buildings.

_Whoever __the __hell __that __pilot __is__, __he__'__s __good_, Guilford thought as he spun around to meet the charge.

"Ninety-five seconds, my lord!"

He grimaced and charged. The Sutherland once again evaded him, however, pulling back and catching his knightmare's knee joint with a beautifully timed kick. He felt the gyro collapse at the same time that his system readout started showing red. Now he was hampered in his movement, and without his lance. He did his best to turn the Gloucester to meet the ghostly Sutherland again.

It was gone, three quarters behind him before he found it with his good arm. He did a number on its arm, too, but gave worse than he got; the actuator was gone, another perfectly timed strike had disabled it.

_This __is __bad_, he thought to himself. But he did not panic; even as he heard eighty seconds incoming, and Cornelia's worried tone over the communicator. He did not panic.

But then he saw his factsphere go dark, and felt his knightmare losing its footing. The damned sniper. He'd wandered into its range. He could see the Sutherland, almost untouched, before him; the pilot was waiting for him to eject. Waiting for him, an elite knight, to eject! He cursed under his breath, even as he felt a bit of respect for his foe. No ordinary terrorist, to be sure.

He heard Cornelia ordering him to eject. Before he did, he called out over an open channel, "Pilot of the Sutherland! Next time we meet, I will not lose!"

To his shock, he received an answer, an angry woman's voice, "Next time? I'm only letting you go here by Zero's orders, Britannian!"

He pulled the eject lever, hearing even as he did another explosion and cursing from the command center.

* * *

><p>"Guilford! Are you all right?" Cornelia shouted over the communicator. Two more explosions had torn through the street by her reserve forces. Even had Guilford fared better against the Eleven pilot, his reinforcements had been effectively removed from combat.<p>

She made a small sigh of relief when she heard Guilford's affirmative reply, immediately cut off when a familiar face appeared on the G-1's display.

"Zero," she cursed.

"Good afternoon, Viceroy. It seems that we have come to the end of today's game."

"What the hell are you talking about, terrorist? Are you running away?" Cornelia asked angrily.

"I've achieved my objective here, Cornelia. The residents of Saitama have mostly escaped, and your knight has fallen to mine. I have no further need to stay here."

"You coward!" She growled angrily. Cornelia knew from her readout that even if they knew where he was, Zero would likely get away before her forces could intercept him.

"We'll meet again, Cornelia. Next time, I hope it will be more decisive."

Cornelia turned her attention to the tactical display as the image vanished from the monitor. _Damn __Zero__! __Damn __him__!_

* * *

><p>Kallen approached Lelouch with a set expression on her face. The drainage tunnels weren't the most fun place for this discussion, but she needed to get it over with. She hoped that C.C. would back her up.<p>

"Kallen, I-" Whatever words he was about to start with were cut off as she slapped him across the face. Lelouch stumbled back against the concrete and shook his head. Kallen was not a weakling, after all. That had hurt.

C.C. glanced at her, a little amusement coloring her features. "I think your Q-1 is a little angry, Lelouch."

"Lelouch," Kallen began, "what the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you ask me for help? Why didn't you ask _anybody_ for help?"

He sighed and stood up again, rubbing his reddened cheek. "I'm sorry, Kallen." He looked at her, and for a moment she saw the same relief that she had heard in his voice during the battle. "You as well, C.C. I realized something out there, today."

They both glanced at him, curious.

"I can't do this alone. To beat them, to beat Britannia, I need an army. I need soldiers I can trust." He smiled, and Kallen could see that half of it was the bravura of Zero, calculated to impress; the other half, though, that looked genuine, even grateful. "I need people I can trust."

"I'm not going anywhere, boy," C.C. commented airily.

"Lelouch," Kallen took a deep breath. "You can count on me, so don't ever pull anything like that again. I'll protect you, all right?" She bit her lip at that, and blushed. C.C. snorted in amusement.

"Thank you, Kallen," Lelouch replied, a little more confidently this time. "You were amazing out there, you know, everything I could have asked for." She blushed a little more, making Lelouch look a little awkward as well.

"OK, enough. I'm for a shower and pizza. You two lovebirds coming?" C.C. asked over her shoulder as she walked away.

Lelouch frowned, but then gestured for Kallen to follow him. "Let's go. By the way, since you're still in your uniform, I think we should probably call this a date." He looked down at the rumpled blazer, missing the conflicting irritation and embarrassment in her eyes.

"You're hopeless, Lelouch." Kallen shook her head sadly. They turned to follow the witch home.

* * *

><p>The Sutherland spun over itself, propelled by its landspinners. The giant machine reached out and grabbed the lance, ripping it away and hurling it from the Gloucester with the force of the spin. The image froze.<p>

"Zero was bad enough, but he explicitly referred to his 'knight,' did he not?" Andreas Dalton kept his eyes on the Sutherland.

"Yes," Guilford replied. He was not excited to be reviewing this footage so soon after his defeat, but it was imperative that they discover the identity of this pilot. "I hate to admit it, but this Eleven pilot was amazing. Also," he paused before continuing, looking down at his report, "also, I am convinced it was a woman, based on her voice when she returned my greeting."

Cornelia's eyebrow went up at that. It was a possibility, certainly, and an interesting one at that. Was Zero a woman as well? She sighed audibly. Guilford had survived, and she was pleased by that, but this pilot he had faced had been amazing. Taking out a Gloucester with a Sutherland was no mean feat between two pilots of roughly equal skill; the precision Zero's soldier had displayed in taking out her own knight of honor was remarkable. She knew of almost no one who could have accomplished the feat, or even made the Sutherland display that kind of mobility.

Was this woman pilot an aberration, or did Zero have other, similar resources?

"Guilford, we will stay on the alert for this pilot. We know nothing yet, but Zero cannot have many such individuals in his employ. If we can remove them, they may well prove crucial to stopping Zero."

"Yes, my lord," Dalton assented. "However, I do think that the sniper was no amateur either. Whoever it was was clearly trusted by the pilot of the Sutherland, to make such close shots. This is more than just Zero's tactical planning; execution like this takes trust."

Cornelia frowned. Dalton was right. Zero's forces in the early part of the battle had been unreliable; they had folded when the pressure was on. These two, though - and she did not discount the notion that Zero was the sniper - they were good.

"For now, we can focus on locating them along with the other known terrorist organizations. If we bring one to light, the others will likely follow." Cornelia turned to her knight. "Guilford, you will have your chance for revenge."

"As your highness wishes," Guilford replied fervently.

On the screen, the Sutherland was silent.

* * *

><p>"Onii-sama, are you all right?" Nunnally took her brother's hand, a worried expression on her face. Lelouch had just put her to bed after an interesting diner. Kallen and C.C. had both been in attendance.<p>

Honestly, Nunnally had had a great deal of fun. Initially everyone had been a little awkward, but she had managed to get Kallen to open up a little, and the other two had followed shortly thereafter. And Lelouch had sounded happy.

Now that they were gone, though, he had gone silent, and she was worried. Had she done something wrong? Was Lelouch depressed to only have her for company?

"I'm sorry Nunnally, I'm just a little distracted. It was a long day." He was being honest there, at least. Physically and emotionally, it had been quite trying. Seeing Kallen and C.C. getting along with Nunnally had pleased him more than he had suspected though; Lelouch wondered whether she was lonely.

"Lelouch-" "Nunnally-" They began at once.

Nunnally laughed. "I'm sorry, onii-sama. I guess I was worried that you were bored with only me, since the girls have left." He heard a little trepidation in her voice.

"Of course not!" He stated flatly. "I love you, Nunnally. I never get tired of being with you. I was just wondering if you were lonely. You seemed to enjoy having company at dinner." He frowned a little guiltily. He never encouraged anyone to spend time with them.

"Well, it was fun, Lelouch." She smiled. "But I'm never lonely as long as you're around." Her free and simple declaration warmed him.

"I love you, Nunnally. Too bad we worried each other. I'll try to have Kallen come by again, all right?"

"All right, Lelouch. But you had better decide which girl you're dating. I think they'll both be pretty angry otherwise." She remarked tactfully.

Lelouch started. "Nunnally! I'm, ah, well..." he floundered, trying to come up with an excuse.

"It's fine, onii-sama. Just don't make those girls unhappy, that would be mean." She leaned over to touch her cheek to his hand. "And I know you're not a mean person."

* * *

><p>AN: Well, it's good to be back! I'm sorry I have not updated in a while, but things have been rather busy for the last few months. With any luck, I'll be able to get some more work done on this story in the near future ^^ Thank you to all who have reviewed, favorited, or set alerts for this story. I can only hope that you enjoy it! Please review and let me know what you think!<p>

- wedgegeck


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